


Caught in the Middle

by Selfindulgent_selfinsert



Series: Caught in the Middle ( a self indulgent self insert fan fiction ) [1]
Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gen, Love Triangles, Romance, Self-Insert, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-08-29 01:02:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16734054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selfindulgent_selfinsert/pseuds/Selfindulgent_selfinsert
Summary: You dear reader, are a nurse at the Beacon Mental institution, working alongside Dr. Ruvik and Dr. Jimenez when one day everything goes to hell.Relive the story of The Evil Within and fall in love with those around you! Protect Leslie with your life and brave the many dangers around you!((Permanent archive of the Tumblr blog Selfindulgent-Selfinsert, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!))





	1. Chapter 1

Your name was (y/n), you’re a nurse at Beacon Mental Hospital in Krimson City. While you love your clients, the staff can be a little sketchy. Especially that Dr. Jimenez guy. He always stands a little close for comfort, but the worst was how he treated your new client, Leslie. While you couldn’t prove anything you were sure that disgusting doctor was hurting him in some way; it was a shame as Leslie is always such a sweetie to deal with. You always feel this protective swell in your chest when you hand him off to the porters for his daily 3 p.m. with Dr. Jimenez and Dr. Ruvik. While you were not permitted to attend these sessions, you made sure to busy yourself with what you could. Many Clients at the hospital needed tending and while your heart breaks for Leslie, you’d be damned if you let someone else go without the care they deserve!

“Err, (y/l).” Great, Dr. Jimenez. Whatever could he want? “Leslie is being rather… combative today and we require your assistance. Now.” God the way he speaks sends shivers down your spine, and not the good kind; but anything for Leslie, he’s never been combative so whatever is happening must be an emergency situation. You nod in response and signal a passing porter to inform the general nurse of your absence before quickly trotting after the doctor. The farther you both went into the facility, the less you could smell of clean sterile chemicals and more of whatever the doctor decided to bathe himself in. It smelt like sour milk and excessive ego. “Dr. Jimenez, how deep in the facility do you take Leslie?” your words echoed slightly, this area was deserted. Not a client or staff member in sight. “Dr. Ruvik needs silence for his practice. So we bring Leslie to the first basement.” You both stopped in front of the old cage elevator. While everything above the main floor was well kept and maintained, the area with the cage elevator was in disrepair. It was merely the early storage and morgue before the building was renovated in the early 2000’s; hardly anyone would need to be here unless they had to retrieve supplies from the basement or receive the supply orders from the barely functioning loading dock. While it couldn’t pass for a horror film, the isolation made you worry, for both your safety and Leslies.

Traveling down with Dr. Jimenez was uncomfortable, to say the least. Dr. Jimenez spoke at length of how his research is monumental to the world of science and how you should feel honored to amount to something. Like being a nurse means you do nothing all day. Being ushered through the door was the last straw, you booked it to Leslie who was thrashing about in a bathtub, some orderlies trying to hold him still. It was hooked up to a large machine that you couldn’t have ever dreamt of in your worst nightmares. Once reaching the tub you pushed the workers away, Leslie didn’t like to be touched often. “Leslie dear it’s me, (y/n). I won’t let them touch you, I promise.” Being calm was essential for your job and somehow for Leslie, it always did the trick. His thrashing slowed and he sobbed loudly “Hurt! Hurt! Hurt!”

“Where does it hurt Leslie, can you show me where?” You held out your hands for Leslie, ready to take immediate action.

“Patient W32 displays an adverse reaction to disconnection from the STEM system.” A voice rang through your head, despite Leslie’s ear piercing sobbing and Dr. Jimenez screaming at the orderlies about their mistakes. It was Dr. Ruvik speaking into his closest companion. A tape recorder. You knew doctors could be weird and most of them still carried them around but it was the cold way he spoke about Leslie that resonated with you. It was cold and clinical, terrifying in its own right. He strode over and unceremoniously pulled what looked like a long needle from the base of Leslie’s skull.

Leslie shot forward into your arms; gripping to your outdated nursing uniform like it was his lifeline, and wailing into your chest. You stared straight at Dr. Ruvik as he went about the machine. Peering around to other tubs, covered with black tarps but with cords trailing back to the beast. What was this place, what were they doing to Leslie? How could they do this to Leslie? Dr. Jimenez broke your internal query by approaching with a towel. “This machine will make him better (y/n), our research will work and Leslie will be cured. It’s incredibly difficult for him but the benefits of him living a normal life are worth any sacrifice.” He spoke, draping the towel over Leslie’s standing body. Getting him out of the tub was going to be a challenge but at least Leslie could dry off now. While the situation looked intimidating, you couldn’t oppose; after all you were only Leslie’s nurse, not his family or doctor, you couldn’t oppose this treatment. Legally at least. So you did what you could, you coaxed Leslie out of the tub and into a wheelchair one of the orderlies brought over. Helping to towel him off the best you could, the poor boy could only sit and rock slowly as you cared for him. Unbeknownst to you, Dr. Ruvik watched you. He had never seen you in person, only ever through Jimenez as Ruvik spent most of his time cooped up in the basement. You were immediately enthralling to him, the empathy you displayed over someone like Leslie, the gentle way you tended to him, your soft humming. You held his attention from the moment you ran in. Ruvik was shocked, what was it about you that captivated him? He had to know, he had to know everything about you, and He was going to have to spend more time outside of the lab.

You left late, getting Leslie clothed and calmed took longer than you expected. After putting him to bed, he’d jump awake screaming that his neck hurt, so you stayed to make sure he was sound asleep. It was exhausting but after what Leslie had been through you couldn’t bring yourself to leave. Of course, the Hospital had some objections to your overtime but Dr. Jimenez advocated for your stay; guess the “good Doctor” had his uses after all. The night was cold as you left Beacon, stepping into the cool fall night was a welcome change. You left your job at the door and walked home, the night more welcoming then transit.

Your apartment was small but homey, you never wanted to live outside your means. Letting down your hair you slumped on the couch. It was 9 p.m. and exhaustion had you in its clutches. Deciding on leftovers and Netflix with your snake, Toby. An uneventful but restful night. If only it had prepared you for tomorrow.

Your alarm blared, you slept in, the clock shone a bright 9:30 a.m. You sprung out of bed, no one could have done it faster, you must have looked like a blur running around and readying yourself for the day. Only once you were halfway to work did you realize you’d forgotten both your thermos and lunch. GREAT. There wasn’t enough time to run home but just enough to try and grab a cup of tea for your morning; though the café was packed. Slumping in defeat, there was no way you were getting anything good, you’d have to brew something up in the staff room when you got there. Turning to leave you bumped into the best part of your morning, the broad chest of a handsome Asian man. “OOP! I’ so sorry!” You blurted up at him, he was really handsome, hell he made you wish you had more time to chat. His black slicked-back hair and glasses framed his sharp features wonderfully. Could his nose cut diamonds? Oh you hoped so. “Ah, I’m really sorry. Looks like we both won’t be getting anything here today eh?” He stepped aside and gestured to the door “Please, You first.”

“Thank you! I hope you have a really good day!” your cheeks were beet red; cute and nice? Why did it have to happen now, of all times when you had to leave this handsome creature?!?!? Waving as you jogged down the street, you considered coming here more often. Maybe you’d see him again, you hoped you’d see him again.

Bursting in the door, a minute to spare you were greeted by the secretary Linda. “Almost late again are we (y/n)?” Peering at you with a snide expression over her desk, twiddling with her pen. Linda liked to tease, but she meant well. At least you hoped she did.

“Almost Linda, almost!” you huffed “That day has yet to come!” passing Linda you clocked in and set on your daily path. Tea would have to wait until later, you needed to tend to Leslie and the others.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning dragged by without your morning tea. Leslie seemed to be better, but with him, you would never really know. You had Leslie set up on his unit’s common room couch drawing pictures, and Leslie was going at it. He’d already made quite a few and insisted on you having them; though you could never resist his little smile as he held up his work to you. As lunch was nearing your stomach began to ache, it growled loudly and caused both you and Leslie to giggle.

“Hmm, I see you two have no problem entertaining one another.” Dr. Ruvik stood above you both, clipboard in hand. You’d never seen him in the proper light before, the man was covered in bandages, though somehow they served to make him more mysterious, they even complimented his sharp features, it was almost cruel how they obscured his true face from you; though his tall lanky body spoke volumes to you. He was uncomfortable outside his lab and it showed. “You do have to enjoy the little things in life Dr. Ruvik.” Looking up at him from your spot on the couch, smiling warmly. Leslie nodded in agreement, his head still bobbing after returning to his art. “I see.” Ruvik held his clipboard closer. Your smile struck him, he was nervous talking with you, despite how little he spoke. “We…” He cleared his throat. “I and Dr. Jimenez have decided to postpone patient W32’s session for today. We believe a day of rest would be beneficial.”

“Thank you for informing me Dr. Ruvik! I’ll make sure Leslie has a calming atmosphere for the rest of the day.”

“T…thank you, (y/n)”

“Any time doctor.”

As Ruvik walked away he felt his lips tingle; your name had been so sweet on his tongue, and for once he was thankful for his bandages. How just saying your name could make his cheeks explode with a heat he’s never felt before. Reaching the doorway he turned, looking back at you with Leslie and staring. There was something special about you, he just didn’t know what that was yet.

 

Lunch was good, despite having to leave the hospital and walk a few blocks back to the café from earlier. Though you may later regret eating the heaviest meal available, or hell even now as you sleepily trudge back to the hospital. “A KPD cop car? Odd…” you mumbled pushing into the main foyer of the hospital, but it was the chariot that had brought your early morning angle right to your front desk. Your day sure had started off bad but this handsome devil from KPD was just handed to you like it was fate. As he turned around with his equally handsome partner, your eyes met, he seemed to perk up at you. Waving, you approached him. “Hi, I’m (y/n) so sorry that we didn’t get a chance to talk this morning. Is there something I can help you with?”

 

“It’s wonderful to meet you (y/n), I’m Joseph Oda with the KPD. Would I be able to ask you some questions concerning some recent disappearances here at the hospital?” Your heart dropped as you clasped your hands over your breastbone. “I-I’m so sorry Mr. Oda but I don’t know what happened to them. All the disappearances happened to clients I don’t have access too. I wish I could help you more but as they aren’t my clients I don’t know much about them.” You pained over the poor missing clients, they were probably lost and hungry, or even worse out there somewhere. You could only hope they would be found soon.   
“I see… perhaps you may have seen something and not realized it. Have there been any recent incidents regarding suspicious visitors? Aggressive family? Disgruntled ex-employee? Anything that seemed out of the ordinary may be important, so please take the time you need.” His tone was full of passion and yet held patients and his smile was warm, it made your heart flutter and cheeks red. You fell back into thinking but your mind was blank, it was frustrating having so much concern but no information. Without realizing you bounced on your heels and blew a raspberry, something you have always done when during times of frustration; Joseph thought you looked adorable. Puffed cheeks and careless bouncing, you seemed so casual. A complete opposite to him, but he couldn’t deny his initial attraction to you this morning; he tried to put you out of his head all day. Thinking he would never see you again but in you came, puffed cheeks and all.

 

Eventually you let out an exasperated sigh “I just can’t think of anything Mr. Oda. I’ve been preoccupied with my client Leslie. Is there some way I can contact you later? Just in case I think of anything.” Internally you smacked yourself, how could you do this? This perhaps wasn’t the GREATEST time ever to be asking for his number but what could you do? It just slipped out. You were half in a food coma after bouncing on your heels and hell he was hot. What was the worst that could happen? Well, he froze. Shit, you broke him. His lips were moving but his voice eluded him, his cheeks were beet red though they probably looked even brighter in contrast with his pale complexion. Were – were you asking him for his number? Without thinking he thrust his notepad towards you, its blank page ripe with invitation; God, was this even ethical? Pulling a pen hidden in your uniform to quickly scrawl upon such invitation; you ended it with a small heart and “call me” etched with your pathetic nursing cursive. You hoped he could read it, and that he would call. Text. ANYTHING. You needed this Joseph Oda in your life now! Among other places that is.

 

While incredibly awkward, you were both lost to the exchange. Failing to notice anything around you; Specifically, Ruvik peering through the windowed door separating the foyer from clinical halls. Ruvik had a general idea of why the police were here but the interaction taking place in from of him stirred a furry he hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe it was the way you rocked on your heels, or how held your arms so close to you. Like a doll, made of precious blushing porcelain. Could it be? No, you were just similar to her. Laura. You remind him of his beloved sister, the reason he was here. You were alike, both soft and caring, your smile sent butterflies through him as did Laura; you carried yourself the same way. There was no way he was letting you go now, you were absolutely perfect. A rare yet sinister smile crept over his face, you had no idea but you were made for him and he wanted you all to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

As the week went by you began accompanying Leslie to his sessions. They made you uncomfortable, the needle inserted into Leslie’s neck, the randomly covered bathtubs. You swore they were different every day; sometimes covered and sometimes not, but they were always haunting. Wanting to trust that this was the best treatment for Leslie you did your best to help clean and maintain the equipment you could. When Leslie would wake you’d make sure he woke to a warm towel and whatever he could need. Most of the time he would ask for a snack, and a warm blanket which you were more than happy to wrap him in; to swaddle him away from the uneasy room and difficult treatment.

“Nice. Nice. Nice. Nice…” Leslie mumbled as you wrapped him up in a blanket after his Friday session. “Glad to be warm Leslie? Are you feeling okay after your bath?” Leslie nodded continuously, smiling at you, you smiled back. “He’s making good progress (y/n)” Dr. Ruvik spoke from behind you, he wasn’t close but rather unexpected. It made you just slightly before standing up. “That’s wonderful! I’m glad Leslie is doing so well. I just worry about him, he is my top priority after all!”

“You needn’t worry (y/n), W32 is excelling faster than any other patient and is beginning to improve. I expect him to start showing his progress soon.” Dr. Ruvik looked at you from down his nose, you didn’t like the way he addressed Leslie. It was dehumanizing for him to be just an assigned number but as it goes in the business, it’s better not to tell doctors what to do. Their easier to deal with that way and you didn’t want to bring Leslie any more stress from a petty doctor. What kind of progress do you expect Dr. Ruvik, I’d like to keep my eyes out just in case.” He smiled, you were so curious. Always peering around and exploring the equipment made by his own design. It was like you were peering into his soul, caressing his deepest thoughts as you cleaned such intimate parts of him. Ruvik was more than eager to share his research with you, he, in fact, hoped you would ask. “Well, we expect him to become more docile and quiet. W32 should become less repetitive and frantic, he should stop talking and moving un-necessarily.”

“What? Is that the negative response? That can’t be desirable medically.” Your concern was more fulfilling then Ruvik could have ever imagined. He was jealous that he was not the center of your concern but the euphoria he felt was like a drug. He wanted more, only about him. “My dear, this is only the first step. W32 needs to be in what could be called a neutral state for us to reshape him; for us to rebuild him so he can function and eventually leave Beacon.” Dr. Ruvik stood pointedly, prideful of his actions, though it sends anxiety through your body. It reminded you of lobotomies that took place decades ago. Almost a haunting echo of the science of the past. “(y/n) I will simply erase what makes W32” He gestured to Leslie who was rocking quietly in his wheelchair “like… that; and fix him. There is nothing to worry about, W-“

 

“His name is Leslie and I do not like how you are speaking about him Dr. Ruvik. I hate to overstep and I’m sure you have lots of clients to deal with, but the way you are speaking is dehumanizing Leslie and he is not an object. He is not broken, and I fear if you are so set on ‘resetting’ Leslie that he won’t be Leslie anymore. I speak only out of concern and I am sorry but he is my client and he should be treated like one.” You didn’t mean to burst out, but this was too much. The way Dr. Ruvik spoke was inappropriate if you had to suffer because you needed to speak up then so be it. His stance was the last straw, you had to say something, anything.

“Very well, I am sorry to offend both you and Leslie. I will do my best to correct my current behavior. I do have many patients and I have perhaps looked at them too hard through the lens of a researcher. It will not happen again.” Well, that was a relief, doctors can get so moody if you call them out. Even with the clients’ best interest in mind. Of course, they deserve respect for everything they do and have done but you think they could have a little more humility and open a little more. You smiled “Thank you Dr. Ruvik, I’m sorry to have been so crass but I don’t want to see Leslie hurt or for you to be investigated by the Physicians Association. I just want what’s best for everyone.”  
Perhaps not worded how you intended but Ruviks heart fluttered that you were also concerned about him, his heart swelled and beat fast, and most embarrassingly his pants grew tight. Though you didn’t seem to notice. “I appreciate your concern (y/n). Your passion is unyielding and I respect that. If you have any further questions about Leslie’s treatment please feel free to come to ask me.” He turned and made his way over to the control panels a few feet away, he had to separate from you before you noticed his arousal.

 

You wheeled Leslie back to his room, helping him get set up at his desk for his favorite past time, drawing. The walls were covered with pictures of him with his family, with you and his various friends among the facility. Noting his crayons were almost gone and you needed to get him some more soon; you would always buy him a special extra big box since the supplied ones were so limited. Leslie was your only client and you didn’t mind, he needed consistent faces and struggled with new staff and clients. “I’ll be back in a bit Leslie, its quiet time now and you know you can hit your red button to call me okay?” You pointed to a red button on the desk, it was a call button. Leslie nodded. “Would you like anything before I go? A snack or some water? A fresh blanket?”

“Thirsty. Thirsty, I… I’m thirsty” You always smiled when Leslie spoke, his longer interactions were extra special as they were so rare. “Of course Leslie, I’ll bring you back a nice big cup okay.” He nodded and began to draw.

 

You returned with a cup from the snack fridge, a straw snuggly into the lid singing its siren song as you set it down before Leslie. “I’ll be gone for 45 minutes okay? You can hit your red button if you need me, Leslie.” Nodding again, he reached out for his cup and took a long sip. He could seem so normal on occasion. Far from the Leslie you knew, and you hoped he could improve even farther, but simple actions are normal. They were just extra special with Leslie, like a private side of him that rarely shone through. You were lucky to have such a wonderful client to work with. As you walked down the hall to the staff room you noticed Dr. Ruvik enter the units medical supply room. It wouldn’t hurt to say hi, would it? Peeking through the door you gasp, his skin looked painful. It was shriveled and dry, his hands were covered in burns. The poor doctor was trying to re-bandage himself with one hand. “Dr. Ruvik, I’m sorry to intrude but would you like some help?” you held yourself in the doorway, using it like a shield in case you were asked to leave. The way you peeked was almost childlike but you didn’t want to insert yourself too much into a private moment. 

“Yes (y/n) that would be appreciated.” Ruvik was still very conscious of his scars but he seemed to be having problems even getting his wrap started today, and the thought of you touching him was very enticing. Thankfully he hadn’t needed to change his facial bandages as he could have been compared to a tomato. You smile made his heart flutter as you skipped into the room and took the bandages from his hands; your hands were like the kiss of an angel against his skin. Careful not to hurt Dr.Ruvik you took his right hand and unrolled the bandages along his skin. “Are… are you okay Dr. Ruvik? I’m not hurting you am I?”

“No (y/n) this is wonderful. Thank you.” He smiled down at you, this smile was much different from the previous ones you have seen. It was warm, honest. It made your heart flutter a little bit. There was no denying that Dr. Ruvik was attractive, he was brash and cold but the physical aura he carried and his striking features hit you in all sorts of ways. While Beacon had policies against employee relationships, they didn’t say you couldn’t think this doctor was spicy. You made quiet small talk, though Dr. Ruvik rarely responded. He was too busy staring at you, the way your hair fell around your face, how your uniform clung to you; savoring your touch, the feel of your skin against his. This is something he never knew he wanted, you doting over him, caring for him. Belonging to him. It was romantic in a twisted sense of the word.

As you finished his left hand, you felt the familiar buzz of your cellphone activating in your pocket. Securing the bandages to Dr. Ruvik you looked up at him “you know Dr. if you need help with bandages you are always welcome to ask for help, and just make sure you let someone know you took a roll okay? Our charge Andrew gets mega rude if we don’t record everything.” He took his hands back and wrung them together. “I will be sure to ask you in the future (y/n). Now if you’ll excuse me I must get back to my research.” He bowed his head before walking around you and heading off to his basement lab. You smiled, feeling conflicted but maybe he wasn’t bad but just awkward. Given your new privacy, you decided to quickly look at your phone. Its surface illuminated with a message from an unknown number.

Hello (y/n), its Joesph Oda from the KPD. Would you like to go for coffee soon? I promise we will actually get some this time ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Joseph couldn’t believe that you said yes, all the teasing he had undergone from Sebastian all since texting you was worth it. It leads to him anxiously contemplating over his small closet. What to wear? Something formal maybe? No. You were just going out for coffee, there’s no need to be formal; but what did he have for anything close to casual? He guessed an old pair of jeans and a V-neck would have to do. It was a little embarrassing honestly, Joseph hadn’t worn anything but a button up out of his house since joining the KPD detective department. It had his favorite show Unusual things emblazoned in its 80’s neon font, hopefully, you’d either like the show or consider it not too casual; he wanted to look like he cared about this date, but not too much.

While you didn’t want to overdress, you certainly looked more elaborate than your plain white nursing gown and minimal makeup. You were stunning, your coat, dress, tights, and shoes matching perfectly; Joseph stopped dead in his tracks before he could move closer to you. In his eyes you could rival any model; your cozy, simple attire flattered you in all the right ways. The small kremmogorgon hanging off your purse was just a bonus and he felt better about his choice of shirt. While waiting your fingers played with the keychain nervously, worried Joseph wouldn’t come.

“(Y/n)!” He called snapping out of his amorous stupor and walking up to you. “Sorry, I’m a little late. I hope you’re not too cold after waiting for me.”

“Ah! That’s okay Joseph, my coat is really warm, and so I don’t mind! I’m glad you came!” Now it was your turn to admire him and while his slightly disheveled hair made you wonder how soft it was and his shirt was a cute look for him there was something wrong. “Joseph, aren’t you cold?”  
Shit. He forgot his coat at home in haste; he shivered. “I’ll be okay inside the coffee shop (y/n), so how about we head inside?” His cheeks were starting to flush from the cold. “Let’s go get you warmed up Joseph.” So said while turning to open the glass door.

 

The smell of coffee hit your nose as you stepped in after him. The doors bell ringing as it swung shut; you crinkled your nose. Coffee wasn’t really your thing, you’d do a mug when working long shifts but the smell of the beans and pure fresh coffee made you a little queasy. Tea was more your speed, and this shop had the best hand-blended selection in Krimson city; any amount of unpleasant smell was worth a cup of their earl grey latte. “I’ll get the coffee (y/n), my treat. Or an apology for being late if you will.”  
“Oh, Joseph you don’t need to do that.” “I want to.” He cut you off, whatever emotion that was in his eyes made you feel something powerful. The word sploosh echoed around your head as your cheeks flushed. Damn you have been single for a while, especially if just this was all it took. “What kind would you like?” He punctuated his offer with a rosy smile. “Thank you, Joseph, this is really nice of you. I’d like an Earl Grey Latte if that’s okay? But I’m paying next time!” He nodded and turned to the Barista. You moved to stand closer with him at the drink-window. “Warming up okay Joseph?”  
“Yes, good company always helps” he winked down at you and chuckled “especially when they’re beautiful like you.” GOD WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE SO FUCKIN LIKE THAT. You weren’t going to let his out flirt you now, so you took advantage of the weather; you took his hand in your own and pulled his arm into your coat and against your torso. “Well if you would like warmer company I’ll gladly accommodate.”  
There was a quiet moment before you both burst out laughing. “That was so bad Joseph I’m sorry!” You cried in-between laughter; “No, (y/n) I walked into that one!” you both held onto each other while laughing, both your nerves finally coming to a head with a hearty laugh.

 

The night went wonderfully after shedding your nerves, taking your drinks to the sofa and snuggling together for the remainder of the outing. Exchanging interests and personal ideals. You learned how Joseph liked to stick with the rules and his love for old 1980’s horror films. He, in turn, learned about your love for art and video games. Mutually gushing over Unusual Things and your favorite characters like the Kemmogorgon and the main cast of kids. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t having a fantastic time, but sadly the shop had to close and you parted separate ways. Not before you made sure Joseph would take a cab home to shield him from the chill of late autumn. You looked forward to the remaining weekend while walking home, you were walking on air after the date and a quiet weekend home gave you so much freedom. The prospect was extremely inviting and your head swam with ideas for tomorrow; though it was only hours away.

 

The alarm blared Monday morning. Had you slept through the entire weekend? No, but it went way to fast. Your chores and hobbies consumed you for 48 hours; spending hours painting and texting with Joseph on his breaks. You already had plans to go out again next Wednesday evening for dinner. God, you wished it was here already. You rolled onto the floor and shambled into the kitchen, turning the kettle on and standing in front of your open fridge; debating what the hell you would eat. Deciding on a protein bar instead of cooking again so you could dress while eating. Your nursing dress was outdated as the other hospitals in the city mandated the use of scrubs for every staff member, but Beacon was different. Some old-thinking higher-ups were what you guessed. While annoying to have to buy hard to find scrub dresses instead of your plethora of modern scrubs, you did admit that since you were little the dresses were your favorite and you had always wanted to wear them. A double-edged sword if you had ever seen one. Remembering your lunch this time, you locked the door to your apartment and headed out for the day; making sure to message Joseph, wishing him a good day. Perhaps you were both moving a little fast but you really did not care. Your current communication with him had you thirsty as fuck and god damn you wanted this to go somewhere.

“Good morning Leslie,” you said, waking Leslie from slumber and handing him his daily medications. “Did you have a good weekend? I hope you and Carrie had fun this weekend.” He smiled from under his blankets. “Tired, tired, tired…” Mumbling as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. “I know Leslie, it’s early, but you can sleep some more after you take your medicine okay.” A cocktail of pills was handed to him via small paper cups. You were amazed at how brave he was for taking such large capsules, they were always so intimidating. Tucking him back in you then reached over to pull his little teddy bear closer and tucking it in right beside Leslie. “Sleep as much as you want Leslie, I’ll be back to check on you in a bit okay?” He nodded and snuggled the bear.

Leaving the room you opened Leslie’s door to walk straight into a slender chest; Dr. Ruvik was standing right in front of the door. Was he watching? “(y/n) I don’t mean to intrude but I’ve come to ask for your assistance and didn’t want to barge in.”

“Oh, of course, DR. Ruvik, let me just shut the door and I’ll be right with you.

“Wonderful.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ll be waiting for you in my office, it’s in the basement with the lab.”

You turned to the door as he walked off, the electronic clock making a slight click. Giving an experimental push to ensure it wouldn’t budge. One of the grim reminders that you were in fact, in a psychiatric hospital; some clients have the habit of wandering off when not occupied, supervised or locked down and Leslie was one of them. He never went far, just out front to see if his passed family had come to take him home, though it would never happen. You peered through the doors small window to give one last check on Leslie before hurrying to catch up with the doctor and managing to catch him before he entered the main elevator. Dr. Ruvik smiled as you stepped into the small room with him. “What exactly did you need help with Dr. Ruvik?” He hit the main floor button. “I have many patients as you know (y/n), and as with research they have helped me accumulate a mass of paperwork and cassettes.” He tapped his pocket, assuming he was checking to see if it was still there. “I request your help with organizing such a large collection as it would take too long to accomplish this myself.”

Your interest was piqued, a chance to be snoopy on what exactly was going on with Leslie or perhaps the machine as a whole was exactly what you didn’t know you wanted. You could almost taste the delicious answers dangling right in front of you, and all you had to do was help. “I have scheduled another nurse to care for Leslie for the rest of the day.” BITCH WHAT. You turned quickly to face the doctor as he stared ahead at the doors. “This is a confidential task as you and Dr. Jimenez are the only ones involved with medical training, I require your specific aid. I’d much rather work with you then that snake Jimenez anyway.” Staying silent, you weren’t sure if it was pure shock and concern for Leslie or perhaps jealousy. He was your clients and hell you’d become kind of protective over him. Your silence didn’t seem to faze the doctor as he stepped off the elevator, calling back for you. “Come now (y/n) we have work to do.”

Without much of an option, you followed. Like a sheep, you followed the wolf into the bowels of the hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting with the doctor, alone in the basement wasn’t as bad as you thought. Instead of sharing a room with the large nightmare machine you were both sitting around a large mahogany desk in the doctor’s previously unseen private office. There was an old cassette player running and it filled the room with a quiet classical hum. It was pleasant; the warm light casting itself upon the many scattered papers that lay on top of such an opulent piece of wood. As you sat quietly, sorting papers while trying to find any scrap of information Ruvik could barely contain himself from across the desk. Watching the way your hands danced across the pages, the small hums that escaped you during the chorus; it was magical, you were magical. How one person could completely distract him from his emotions, goals, research, and sleep was a mystery to him. While he hadn’t the need for much sleep, the few hours he did were consumed by you; your smile, your touch, how you’d taste and writhe under his slender frame. Ruvik wouldn’t consider himself a rational man. He killed his parents for fuck’s sake, the man was most likely a sociopath; but around you, he could feel his thoughts stop and heart flutter. Was this how his father felt for his mother? He shivered at the thought.

“Are you cold Dr. Ruvik? Would you like me to bring you some tea or something?”

“You have no need (y/n), I have a kettle down here for such things. Would you like a cup?” He spun in his chair only to stand and move towards a small bar cabinet. He pulled out a metal kettle and hot plate, setting them on the cabinet and pulling out two teacups. “I hope you don’t mind. I only have one kind of tea down here.” You smiled and nodded with a hum though he couldn’t see you, he was going to make you tea regardless if you had said no. He had decided you asking about him was your way of telling him your needs. That you were, in fact, cold and he needed to take care of that.

 

It took a couple minutes of staring into space for the kettle to boil, the metal contraption squealing out. You had studied him out of the corner of your eye. His crisp button-up tucked into his tailored slacks, the stark contrast of his skin and bandages with his chosen color pallet. It reminds you of Joseph, and the date you two would share next week. Trying to get back to the task at hand you sift through papers, eventually coming to a form you had never seen before. A beautifully rendered human body, its anatomy detailed, accurate. It was a marvel of art, unlike the simplistic body charts you were used to.  
“Dr. Ruvik, I’m afraid I don’t recognize this form. What is it for?” You spoke, looking up at him as he set the cup of tea to your left. Holding the paper out for him.

“Ah, that’s where I left it.” He stood straight and returned for his cup. “It is a drawing of my own design, I often illustrate my own research. I find it… relaxing.”

 

“It’s beautiful doctor.” Ruvik froze, the way you spoke was breathy. You were awestruck by his artistic prowess. “The way you captured each organs texture and appearance is stunning. I’m quite envious. The ones I draw never look as nice.” You looked at him from across the desk as he sat once more, tea burning his hand. His grip never leaving the teacup. “You draw, (y/n)?”

“Yes, I love art! I mainly use oil paints but my favorite topic is human anatomy.” Your right hand raising to your cheek in an attempt to cover your blush. “Something about bringing what’s inside to the outside is so intriguing; perhaps my favorite thing to paint.” Still breathy, you handed Dr. Ruvik back the illustration. A little embarrassed as anatomy was something you were extremely passionate about, something about it was so intimate to you, almost bordering on erotic but that was your secret. Perceptive as ever, Ruvik could tell something was up, your flushed face and breathy voice over just a simple illustration were intriguing. “The human body truly is a marvel isn’t it (y/n)? I must admit my love for it pushed me to pursue my current career.” Propping his elbows on the table and rested his chin just behind his clasped hands. Eyes crawling up and down you; from your nurse cap to the modest nursing gown that kept the most intimate of your anatomy from his prying eyes. Your anatomy was the one he truly wanted to explore, to savor and document. Perhaps if you let him he would even explore what lay under your skin. The air held a strange tension to it, thick of embarrassment and lust; your phone buzzed. Breaking the atmosphere and allowing distraction from the flush of your cheeks.

(y/n), I’m really sorry but I will have to cancel our date next week. We may be on the trail of one of the missing patients. I will be out of town, but I want to make it up to you. I’ve moved our reservation until the following Saturday. Again I’m sorry to cancel, and I look forward to seeing you again if you’d like to continue our interactions. Please feel free to text me when you can. :) 

 

Your face dropped. Were you disappointed? Yeah, a whole heck of a lot but both yours and Joseph’s jobs could pull you away from each other in a heartbeat. You both understood that there would be times like this, and you were relieved that he might find and save a missing client.

“(y/n) is something wrong?”

Dr. Ruviks words cut through your thoughts. “Oh, uh… it’s nothing Dr. Ruvik, just some personal issues but I won’t let it get in the way of our work. I’m sorry” Sputtering as you spoke, putting your phone back in your pocket and taking a sip of tea. “(y/n) please, you make call me Ruvik. If you’d like to talk about anything, my office is a safe place.” Still leaning on his propped hands, though his gaze was more analytical then previous, it was something you hadn’t seemed to have noticed; he leaned forward as if trying to ask you to speak about your problem. It couldn’t be that bad right? Dr. R- Ruvik was your friend, maybe not a best friend but forging a new friendship was something you wanted to do.

“I just uh, well I had a date but you know how it is on call. Things happen, plans are canceled.” Taking another sip of tea, savoring the unique flavor and making a mental note to ask Ruvik what kind it is later. “I guess I just got too excited and the disappointment hit me a little too hard. I’ll be okay though, thank you Ruvik.” He frowned, while you didn’t know that you and he were meant to be together, you didn’t realize it yet so Ruvik couldn’t be mad at you. He could never be mad at you. He was instead mad at your partner, how dare they stand you up for anything. How dare they interfere with his love; but this was his chance, this was the moment to show you that you were his and his alone. “Well, (y/n) you’re more than welcome to visit my estate. I keep most of my work at home and if you’d like to see more I’d gladly have you for a private gallery showing.” He tilted his head, smiling; it was almost cat-like and cute in its own way. It wasn’t a bad offer, you a Joseph weren’t even really an item so thought what in the heck could be so bad about going over to your friend’s house to see his art. Sure you were barely friends but that’s how people make friends right? You had nothing to do that day and would rather like to see more of Ruviks work. “I’d love to Ruvik. It sounds like a lovely time.”

Hospital rules be damned.


	6. Chapter 6

You helped Ruvik sort through his work for the remainder of the week; the time you spent with him in the basement increasingly growing on you. While Ruvik and you didn’t relate on more modern topics, art, research and of course you were the main focuses of conversation. Ruvik could listen to you speak about your life for hours; what made you want to be a nurse, why you care, how you like your eggs. Anything. You are slowly becoming his favorite research topic, his fantasy. The only thing that could make this better would be waking up with you wrapped around him.

You, on the other hand, loved hearing about Ruviks research, how he wanted to find a way to transfer minds between bodies and being able to work directly with a person’s mind to deconstruct and then repair what the brain is missing. You felt much better about Leslie’s treatment after listening to Ruvik; Leslie was going to get better and be able to leave beacon. While originally the treatments explanation seemed rather scary, listening to Ruvik throughout the week helped you make sense of the matter; spending time with him, especially in the quantity you had, made you feel rather close to Ruvik. He was an aloof man but held insight and a surprising amount of dark humor. He was able to look at the world with both the perspective of an artist and researcher. While not as personable in the way of others like Joseph, he held his own quiet charm that really shone in private. Upon returning to care for Leslie, you felt slightly disappointed; sure you were happy to be back caring for him. The way he flung himself into you and held onto you, almost as if he’s never going to see you again proved that fact; but there was a part of you that was going to miss the quiet air of Ruviks office and the odd humor that would send you into roaring laughter. You were both busy people, however, and since the mountain of research was no longer scattered you both needed to return to your daily duties around beacon.

Bringing Leslie down to the basement for his session was a lot easier this time. He had regressed in the past week and while it was nice to see Leslie, you’d rather have the treatment completely done so Leslie could be better off, rather than stuck in this hospital any longer. The session was a little longer today to make up for a week of absence and in turn was even harder on Leslie then normal. You requested to Ruvik that Leslie be given a break in the middle and it was granted; during the hour mark you were able to pull Leslie out of the tub for a snack and quiet activity, Ruvik had even joined in by bringing you a cup of tea to enjoy with him, but the door to the lab slammed open causing you all to jolt.

“RUVIK YOU RAT-BASTARD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!” Dr. Jimenez rushed in and pulled Ruvik up by the collar of his shirt. “I don’t have a clue what you are talking about Jimenez.” Ruvik, calm as ever despite being pulled onto his toes, teacup sloshing about. “YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT YOU’VE DONE! WHERE WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT ME YOU LITTLE CREATIN? YOU OWE EVERYTHING TO ME AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME!?”

“Perhaps doctor, we should speak in private. You are making my client Leslie upset.”

Ruvik gestured to Leslie in his wheelchair, sitting stone still with his fingers digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. “I am currently administering Leslie’s treatment and will find you after the session is completed.” Ruvik set his left hand over Dr. Jimenez’s grip, giving them a push to try and remove them from his clothing. Realizing he had an audience Dr. Jimenez retracted and stood upright, clearing his throat and peering over his nose at Ruvik. “Very well. I am sorry to intrude at such an…” He glanced at Leslie before dragging his eyes painfully slowly over you. “inappropriate time, but I will return when it is more convenient. Do not think we will not be speaking later Ruvik.” Dr. Jimenez turned pointedly so his lab coat flared around him and stormed out of the lab, again slamming the door loudly.

“Will you be okay Ruvik?” concern peaking in your voice. “Of course (y/n), Jimenez just has another insignificant problem he just insists to impose on me.” He smirked at you, bringing forth a tiny giggle at such blatant sarcasm from the doctor. You both returned to Leslie’s treatment, though your time together seemed to fly by and soon you were wheeling Leslie out the door, however before you could leave Ruvik called out. “I shall see you tomorrow (y/n), 11 a.m. sharp like we agreed. Correct?”

“See you then Ruvik! Have a good night!” You called back, waving with one hand as you went through the door. He smiled after you, for once actively looking forward to the following day.

You stared at the large door knocker fastened to the large barrier which separated the inner halls of Ruviks Manor from the outside world; the metal loop was large enough to dwarf your hand as you lifted it and let it slam into the wood. Damn who knew they could be so heavy?! You honestly hadn’t meant to let it slam but your surprise had let your guard down and BAM! Ruvik was now very aware you were here.

The door cracked open to reveal your wrapped friend; his lips curing into a smile as he saw you. “(y/n), I’m glad you’re here. Please do come in.” Ruvik swung the door open and extended his arm to gesture you inside. Once you saw him in full, his carefully planned outfit; you suddenly felt very under dressed in your casual jacket and baby doll dress. If Disney has a trauma survivor prince he would be it. “Thank you for having me Ruvik.” You peered around the foyer at all the expensive art that hung amongst the walls. “Your house is very- very- ACHOO!” The house was incredibly dusty; just you walking in had stirred up a cloud that was sucked right into your nose. “Oh, Ruvik please excuse me! Your home is very spectacular!” Ruvik turned from shutting the door. “Thank you (y/n) but you do not need to apologize, sadly my home is so vast and I do not have the time or energy most days to dust most of it. Please follow me this way, over to the study. I assure you it’s much better over there.” He gently placed his hands on your shoulders and led you through the house. Passing many old doors and clusters of furniture blocking the deeper parts of the house from access; you decided you wouldn’t say anything about it. The blocked paths emanated such ominous energy it almost scared you, Ruvik seemed to notice and escorted you into the study. Research and papers were everywhere, a couch covered in blankets sat in the darkest corner amongst the wall height bookshelves; he led you over to the vast windows and through a set of glass doors into a beautiful sunroom. Agape you stared around at the plants that clung to the windows and the marvelous garden that stood outside. In the center of the room was a small table set adorned with hot tea and biscuits. “My gardener made tea cakes and I’d like to share them with you (y/n). Have a seat.” He held a chair out for you. Was this a fucking dream? This was so aesthetic, did Ruvik set this all up for you? After you sat, Ruvik gently pushed your chair in and handed you a sketchbook from seemingly nowhere. “In here I keep some of my finest work.” He stood over you and watched as you opened the book. Human organs and the female figure; he would never tell you that this entire book was inspired by you alone. This whole room was inspired by you since he met you Ruvik began obsessively fulling this room with things that reminded him of you and just like his beloved sister Laura you reminded him of flowers. The garden was an embodiment of his sister but the flowers and plants kept within the sunroom walls were you. The ones he himself took care of, sculpted and trapped within his home, dependent on him solely for their very existence. Just how he wanted you.

His breathing picked up and his leaning over you was starting to become stiffening. His work was truly wonderful but it was hard to enjoy with such a close companion. Turning to look up at him from your spot. “Ruvik is everything okay?” This seemed to break him out of a trance, you could see his cheeks heat up in the small spaces where his bandages couldn’t reach. “Y- Yes (y/n).” He cleared his throat. “Please forgive me as watching you like that gave me the idea for my next work and I fear my thoughts distracted me. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Ruvik moved to sit across from you and offered you a cup of tea. It was lovely, the cakes flakey and lightly sweet and the sun shining through the glass was amazing. It cast a loving warm glow upon the room that brought every color its own spotlight. It was like sitting in a painting. Though the tea and cakes couldn’t last forever; Ruvik stood and cleared the plates. Carting them off back into the dusty manor. Curiosity peaking, you moved to the windows, putting your hands on an old cabinet to lean closer to the window. Marveling the expansive garden; sunflowers grew tall and proud, other puffy bushes of flowers shone in the sun. It looked as if fairies could live in there, like a magical land of flowers. Who knew Ruvik had such a passion for them. After spending so much time with him you could say an interest had been sparked, if given a choice between him and Joseph, you wouldn’t be able to choose. Dare you say both men had wormed their way into your head and despite the time difference there was no preference; puffing your cheeks in thought as you stared out the window. Good job, you managed to fall in love with two people. How in the hell did you manage that? You hung your head. There would be a day when you would have to make a decision regarding the two titular love interests in your soap opera of a predicament. You weren’t really sure if you could make that decision but that was a bridge you’d have to burn when you got there.

Two gauze covered hands snaked into your vision on either side of you. Ruviks pelvis was pushed against your rump as he pinned you to the cabinet; his head coming down to growl in your ear. “Do you like my garden (y/n)? I must admit some flowers remind me of you…” He sniffed your hair and pushed his pelvis further into you. “There are lots of things that remind me of you, but it’s hard not to always think of someone as captivating as yourself.” The way he crushed you beneath him and his heavy voice in your ear was oddly satisfying. You leaned your head back until it was resting on his shoulder so you could look into his intense stare. MOIST. GOD, IT REALLY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME YOU THIRSTY BITCH. If Joseph was an angel, Ruvik was certainly an enticing devil; you had to admit you rather liked your current position, that feeling reflecting in a coy smile spread across your face. Your faces were so close, Ruvik moving slowly closer without breaking his intense stare, there was nothing that could have ruined this moment except; BAM. A resounding boom sounded throughout the home causing you both to jump; Ruviks arms wrapping around you defensively while you spun to stare at the door.

“RUVIK, I KNOW YOU’RE IN HERE. WE NEED TO TALK, YOU CAN’T KEEP AVOIDING ME!”

Dr. Jimenez? You couldn’t escape him, could you? The man has single-handedly ruined the mood and forced Ruvik to separate from you slightly. There was some vague sounds of slamming and the distinct smashing of something fragile. It was too frequent to be only one person; it honestly frightened you and the grip you had on the cabinet and moved to cling on Ruviks arm, bringing his attention back to you. “(y/n) I think it would be best if you leave.”

“Are you sure Ruvik? Dr. Jimenez sounds really angry, I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“(y/n), Dr. Jimenez is nothing to worry about. I will be fine, but this matter is rather private and Jimenez is not one for company while in his mood.” He pulled you close into a hug; his wildest dream was happening and Jimenez had to ruin it, but he couldn’t have you know the true extent of his research and machine for fear you would run from him. Leading you over to a side door hidden behind a cluster of plants and ushering you through. “Please (y/n), I will be fine. Follow the path to the front gate and go home. I will call you after Jimenez leaves.” The concern in your face was delicious, but Ruvik couldn’t savor it for he had a rowdy doctor trashing his home to attend to. That’s where he left you, standing concerned on a small concrete step peering into a now locked door as he disappeared into the house. You took your leave slowly, passing an ominous black car to slide into your own. Leaving the manor and Ruvik to whatever would happen to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Coming into work the next day was suffocating. The air around the hospital was rife with something heavy you couldn’t describe. You had no idea what happened to Ruvik as he hadn’t called you since he left you at his back door and has yet to show up for work; he was far too devoted to disappear. You kept yourself busy until it was time for Leslie’s treatment; Dr. Jimenez had come to fetch you and the aura around him was absolutely suffocating. The glare he shot you was of suspicion and incredulous hate. Ridding with him in the old cage elevator was the worst; you wanted to scream and beg him for answers but the way he stared at you was frightening. “(y/n)… do you know what has happened to our dear doctor?”

“N-No, sir.” You shook your head; it was the truth but something inside you screamed for you to keep your visit with him yesterday quiet. You had no idea if the doctor had any idea you were there but, the threatening feeling in your gut was unmistakable. 

“Hum, what a shame. It seems as if he’s taken off; as expected from scum like him.” Your knuckles white on the handles of Leslie’s wheelchair. His tone was way too snide to be innocent, and you wanted to be as far away from this man as possible so soon as the elevator landed you whipped the door open and pushed Leslie out and down the hall. Dr. Jimenez watched you bolt from his presence. He suspected you had been at the manor the previous day but he couldn’t prove that quite yet. Perhaps the more he could make you squirm, the closer he could get to pinning his suspicions on you. Potentially even the missing doctor.

 

Entering the lab you felt empty, there was a space missing that Ruvik filled. Dr. Jimenez entered behind you and went over to the control board; though he was occupied with fumbling the keys about and muttering about how he doesn’t understand the machine, you felt eyes on you. Intense and staring. You glanced back at Leslie to lower him into the tub and he was watching you like he always does. Eyes watery and full of gracious love, his small smile captivating the endless trust he placed in you; though this stare was not the one you felt. Leslie wiggled in the tub as you stood up to find his insertion needle but your eyes caught the source of the eyes. Inside the machine, in a large glass bulb sat a brain its frontal lobe pointed directly at you as its brain stem swirled amongst the circulating fluid. Wires held the brain in place but somehow looked as if the brain was still if its own will. 

“Do you like my improvements (y/n)? Ruvik was so hesitant to improve upon this machine but now he is gone I have taken the liberty to employ my own design; peak performance at its finest.” He chuckled to himself. “A recent donor was able to contribute to the machine, allowing my plans to blossom. Genius isn’t it?” He put his hand on your shoulder, when had he gotten so close. You wanted to vomit under his touch. The only thing distracting you were the small vibration from your cell phone that brought you back from the edge. “I- ’m sorry Dr. Jimenez before we start I must run to the washroom. I’m afraid I don’t feel so well and need a moment. I’ll be back in a bit to hook Leslie up but I can’t wait.” You spun and darted off to the basement washroom.

 

Ruvik awoke to pain and blinding light. Jimenez had attacked him with his Mobius goons and scalped him for his most precious belonging. Trapping him within this world of torment and memory. STEM, his own machine was now his prison; its sprawling landscapes and derelict buildings lain before him and the world bending to his will. He screamed, loudly into the vast either. He was so close. His research was falling into place and you had been so close! Jimenez had to rip it all away from him; Ruvik collapsed and beat against the earth. Though he had no tears to shed, his anguish was powerful, his screams and fists warping the environment around him. Shifting him around the realm wish each hit. He was furious; somehow he would get revenge, but how could he- Leslie. He could consume Leslie and leave this machine behind in his place. The screaming had stopped, replaced with manic laughter; Ruvik stood. His tattered robe blowing in the wind as he cackled to the sky. The solution was so simple, he had simply needed to execute it.

 

Your phone screen illuminated your face inside the dim bathroom stall. As the phone went off you knew it couldn’t be Ruvik but a part of you wished it could have been, for some sense of personal relief if anything at all.

(y/n), I can’t say much due to the investigation but I and Sebastian have been looking around the missing patients and we believe it may be an inside job. Be careful and do not fall into harm’s way. There are problems within the hospital I cannot even begin to comprehend. I would hate for things to happen to you. Hopefully, this will be over soon and we can see each other again. –Joseph

Now you could feel panic, could Dr. Jimenez be a part of this? How much danger were you in? Was Leslie safe? Did the people doing this come after Ruvik?  
You stuffed the phone away and finished up in the small washroom. Scurrying down the hall to hear screaming. Dr. Jimenez had hooked Leslie up to the machine without you; Leslie was still awake, writhing in the tub while the doctor slammed around on the controls. If you weren’t already panicking, you would be now. You were surely on the verge of a stroke; rushing towards Leslie as he wailed “NO! NO! NO! NO!’ while batting his hands at the air above him as if someone was there. The room felt like it was going crazy, Leslie screaming, and the lights flickering; you could hear a high pitched ring in your ears as it all rose in crescendo before you pulled out Leslie’s needle. The room burst with light and went dark, silent, tension crashing in an instant as the ringing in your ears ceased. The bulb in the center of the room glowed faintly, LED’s in its tiny prison illuminating the room as you stared in awe. Dr. Jimenez kicked the control panel. “You worthless machine! We will have to reset the system, (y/n) put that needle back in Leslie’s neck; we are trying again and we are going to get it right this time!”

“No.”

“Excuse me?!?” Dr. Jimenez shouted at you pointedly.

“Leslie is in distress, he never gets this way when Dr. Ruvik conducts treatment. I refuse to let you touch him until he returns!” You held Leslie close to you, the water from the tub covering your uniform. “This is inhumane!”

Dr. Jimenez stalked towards you two, his fists clenched and eyes dark with rage. You stepped in front of Leslie to shield him from the doctor’s wrath; holding up your arm as he came closer as if to shield yourself from his onslaught. Dr. Jimenez grabbed your arm hard and pulled it above you. “YOU LITTLE HUSSY, YOU WON’T TALK TO ME THAT WAY. DON’T YOU EVER SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!” You struggled in his grip, it felt like it could crush your bones and would certainly leave bruises but you had to stay strong. “Dr. Jimenez do you know how to work the machine? Cause if you did you’d know you can’t just put Leslie in like that! You have to give him a sedative first!”

The room suddenly turned with a resounding slap that echoed off the walls. Dr. Jimenez had hit you; it stung and you stumbled slightly, tears welled in the corners of your eyes. “I know you were at his house (y/n).” The deadly calm tone of his voice stung far more than your face. “If you ever speak to me like that again or if you speak about this to anyone, I’ll make sure both you and Leslie aren’t ever heard from again. Do you understand?”

 

As you stood frozen Ruvik suffered in anguish. His knowledge of STEM let him ghost through the wires and circuits to Leslie’s brain, though the connection was not complete. He couldn’t quite get through, the machine was still repairing itself and couldn’t support that action right now. He could only watch ad Jimenez struck you and screamed. Watching you quiver in fear sent him into boiling anger; he couldn’t protect you, he couldn’t make Jimenez suffer for damaging you. His resolve burned with unbridled possessive rage; Jimenez would pay.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly hope you've been reading Chapter x: Chapter x like "Full Metal ALchemist: FULL METAL ALCHEMIST" in your head.

Trapped, yet there was no relief. The unanticipated separation of Leslie’s connection needle had split Ruvik in half, in a limbo between stem and fleeting moments of sensation as Leslie went about his carefully planned day. How this was possible, Ruvik wasn’t sure but the closer Leslie seemed to the machine the clearer it was. Excruciatingly clear, as his existence was dysphoric in a sense. Heavy distortion of the world around him in stem and he was unable to stay in one spot and would transport around the world; Leslie’s subconscious was no better. Thoughts more deafening then his own as they whirled around in a never-ending torture; Leslie’s thoughts overwhelming his own as they cried out within the poor boys head. The only relief was you, the brief fleeting moments of clarity in both connection and thought from your mere prescience alone. Watching through the mind of your meek ward as you tended to him; reading to him in the sunshine and afternoon snacks. Ruvik swore he could feel your touch as you tucked Leslie into bed for the night, leaving the boy for the night; left only with quiet thoughts as Leslie drifted off into total silence. Relief.

You bid goodbye to the night staff, beginning your walk home through the city. Leslie had been very odd since his last session a few days ago. He was normally very jumpy and even when he was completely distracted he had a certain air to his presence; a quality of innocence and busy thought. Though he had begun to stare at you, in a rather familiar gaze; it was stoic and intense. There was no trace of the Leslie you knew in either his gaze or mannerisms, there was no gentle twitching. Perhaps you just missed Ruvik too much and were imposing your memory upon Leslie; that had to be it. The brain and Leslie were simply reminding you of your missing friend and the stress wasn’t helping. You wanted to tell Joseph or report it to the police but some strange men in all black had been lurking around the facility; often coming to watch you or heading downstairs into the basement. They demanded to look at your phone, Dr. Jimenez even ordered you to comply with their request; he said they were looking for Ruvik. What a fat lie. The men came in mysteriously and began shutting down communication within the hospital, like a cover-up they hid their faces with thick sunglasses. Leslie’s files suddenly began filling with new papers, scarce with information as most were redacted. Eventually they stopped letting you even look at it, a different man would inform you every morning of things you guessed you had been allowed to know; demanding a full summary of the day after you tucked Leslie in each night. 6 days was all it took for them to isolate you completely from not only your own client but his treatment as a whole. He had been carted away from you to see god know who as they did god knows what. Your days now were filled with interviews and signing consent forms you had no choice in before caring for Leslie in the afternoons.

The next day was no different. More prying into your personal life; if you had been following their rules given. Trying to determine if you had outed them to law enforcement or not without asking you outright. They didn’t allow you to talk with anyone, under threat of removing you from Leslie completely. The morning dragging on agonizingly until Leslie was returned to you. His now dull eyes lighting up as another suit handed him off to you. It could have been a different man every day, you couldn’t tell due to their glasses.

 

“You are to bring patient W32 to the STEM lab at 14:00 sharp. Understood?”

“Understood.” There wasn’t anything you could do. You felt trapped, struggling between your need to protect Leslie and your fear of being separated from him. Wheeling Leslie through the building out to the hospital courtyard, you figured you both could use a breather. Stopping at a nice bench bathed in warm sunlight and sighing. “I’m sorry Leslie… I’m sorry I can’t protect you from them.” You sat on the bench in front of Leslie’s wheelchair, putting your head in your hands. “I just don’t want to lose you like I lost Ruvik. I miss him so much and I don’t know what I’d do without you too. I- I can’t protect you if I try and stop those men. I just hope they’re not hurting you.”

“Okay… okay… I’m okay…” Leslie rested a hand on your head and pat it quickly before retracting. Continuing to mutter okay; you craned your head up to smile at him, such a sweet gesture and you really appreciated it. You couldn’t be sure he wasn’t being hurt but his assurance was needed. Ruvik was dying, you were so precious and he wished he could reach out and comfort you but he would have to wait for that.

2:00 came around faster than expected and you had rolled Leslie back down to the basement; the door to the lab was blocked by two suits acting as guards. Without a word, they shooed you back and took Leslie away from you once more. The remaining guard waved his hand at you in a dismissing gesture. “You can go now.”

“Excuse me?”

“Go home. You won’t be needed for a while. We will contact you in the coming days when we want you to return.”

“With all due respect I-“

“We don’t care who you are. You are unneeded for the time being and are to vacate this hospital until further notice. Consider it a vacation. Unless you’d like a more permanent solution?” The guard lifted the breast of his jacket to reveal a gun hidden in its accompanying holster; the snide smirk adorning the man’s face was intimidating and repulsive. These people weren’t fucking around, and for your own sake you backed up; eyes still glued to the man as you entered the elevator, slid the gate shut and held the button for the main floor. Hustling out of the building, trying to hide your tears in the sleeve of your cardigan, the shock starting to kick in; breaking into a full run as you exited the front doors. Sprinting home with watery eyes.

 

Meanwhile, as Leslie was thrown back into stem Ruvik was reunited; he was whole again. Yet there was still something different like a sliver was missing and he was now entirely different. No longer glitching around the world but his warping still had the heavy distortion from his separation. As the master of this world, it was all up to him but this distortion was out of his control. Just relieved to be feeling better and essentially one piece; Ruvik collapsed into slumber. Finally able to relax and succumb to exhaustion.

Upon reaching home, exhausted and upset you threw yourself on the couch and lay there. Too winded and cried out to shed any more tears. They were tearing Leslie away from you. Would they hurt him? Would they move him to another facility? Could they fire you? Both Leslie and your job were on the line as your friend was missing. The stress was getting to you; maybe you should take a few days off. As much as you don’t want to, you ‘aren’t needed’.  
Your stomach growled loudly. You left your fucking lunch at work. Great. Now you’re tired, upset AND hungry. Rolling onto the floor you peered into your kitchen, trying to think of something to eat. Maybe cooking would help you calm down a little bit; regardless you’d have to go back tomorrow to get your lunch bag, don’t want to let the food go bad and make the containers even worse to clean. Hopefully, your Manic day wouldn’t continue tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning wasn’t better; you had fallen asleep half on the couch and half on the floor. You’re empty Tupperware from last night’s leftovers laying on the carpet. Groaning you adjusted yourself and stood up. A small thump grabbing your attention, Tobi your snake was bumping against his tank wall; he must want some food. After all, you didn’t feed him last night due to some stress sleep. “Poor bubby, was mommy bad and forgot to feed you?” You cooed into the tank, reaching into pet his head gently. “Mommy won’t let that happen ever again. Never ever!” Covering the tank you crouched to the mini fridge full of frozen mice. “Let me guess… the biggest one right?” You giggled and kissed the tank where Tobi stared back. Heating up the frozen morsel in the adjacent microwave. Deciding to move into the kitchen to wash your hands, maybe put your lunch aw- FUCK. You left it at work. Guess you were trekking over there today for it. Don’t want it to go bad. Storming into your room to change from your wrinkled work uniform into some more casual clothes. Just a quick trip so that sundress from your last day off wouldn’t hurt right?

 

The microwave beeped as you finished brushing your hair; trotting into the living room, cooing again at your beloved friend. “Oooooh~ perfect timing!” Dropping the mouse into the tank with your baby. “Mommy has to leave for a bit but she’ll fill your water when she gets back okay? Be my good little noodle and behave.” Covering the tank and once again washing your hands before walking out of your now locked apartment towards Beacon. The walk was nice, the trees full of orange and the air slightly chilly. Glad you had remembered your favorite red cardigan as you pulled it around you tighter. The Hospital was a different story; even the unit clerks up front looked off. They kept looking around them and the whole place seemed to have an air of tension and paranoia. Attempting to break the mood as you walked by, you waved. “Hey, guys!” Both clerks jumped out of their seats. Before they could warn you, you had already passed through the heavy door and trotting quickly to the staff room. You remember being so elegantly threatened to leave the premises but you figured no one would notice if you just grabbed your lunch. Right? The powers that be had already known of your entrance before you even came through the door, however. Your fate had been sealed; Mobius was ready to remove any trace of you. “Weird…” You mumbled, thinking out loud in the empty staff room. “I swear I left my lunch in this fridge…” the staff room was oddly quiet. Someone was usually in here, but despite your visual affirmation that you were alone, something felt off. You turned back to close the fridge door and were suddenly forced into the machine. Your world going black.

 

“All units, all units; 11-99, expedite cover code 3. Beacon Mental Hospital.” The Police radio rang out in the squad car. “184 copy: code 3. ETA 3 minutes.” Officer Connelly spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Sorry detectives, I know you just comin’ off a case but I’m afraid we’re gonna have to make a detour.” Speaking directly to the cab this time instead of dispatch. Sebastian gazed out the window to the rainy city streets. Just as his day went from better to worse the weather went from brisk to sudden rain. Josephs worry peaked, you worked at Beacon. “Sounds serious, is it a riot?” Trying to hold the worry in his voice.

“Call went out just before I picked you up. Said it was “multiple homicides”. Half a dozen units already on-scene.” Connelly said so nonchalantly, but inside Joseph was PANICKING. The radio became incessant noise as he tried to focus on the case at hand. “Maybe it’s that ghost of that doctor who went schizo and chopped up all those patients. You know that one your girlfriend was friends with!” “That’s not what happened.” Joseph leant forward in his seat, sure you weren’t his girlfriend but you did text each other regularly and Joseph would be lying if he said he hadn’t dreamt about it, but now was not the time, you could be in danger. This conversation needed to be on track. “Some patients disappeared. Some kind of scandal?”

“You think they’re connected?” Sebastian mused, turning back in the front seat to face Joseph.

The conversation carried until they pulled up at the Hospital. Squad cars littering the front of the building. Walking through the rain, the puzzling sight before then had more of an ominous glow. Lights but no sirens, the area felt like a ghost town. Joseph Inspected the immediate visual area as Sebastian ordered Connelly to radio for more back up. If an emergency call had a worst case scenario this would be bit Sebastian thought as the three detectives made their way into the ominous structure deemed hospital. The inside was no better, the stench of blood hit him immediacy upon cracking the door. Even through the crack, he could see scattered bodies and blood spatter littering the pale sterile room. Joseph pushed forward, gun drawn and eyes wide. Sebastian was well aware of his panic, he knew Joseph too well. Leaving Kidman at the door, Sebastian followed Joseph deeper into the facility.

“I got a live one here!” Joseph ran into a side security office, Sebastian soon followed. Dr. Jimenez lay on the floor barely conscious. “…Can’t be real…” he muttered as Sebastian knelt down to inspect him. “…impossible… …Ruvik is…” seeming delirious Joseph knelt down as well, suggesting that the security cameras may be of use; to which Sebastian nodded, moving to inspect the monitors.

 

The earth shook and you awoke with a start. Gasping loudly to an empty ambulance. “Hey, you’re okay.” You jumped, screaming at the unexpected noise. “Mam please relax, my name is Oscar Connelly. I’m an officer with the KPD.” He sat up front in the driver’s seat “I found you passed out in the bushes over there.” He gestured with his head over to a landscaped area of the courtyard. From what you could see his uniform looked legit, and you really didn’t know what was happening; you had no choice but to believe him. “Thank you, officer… I’m (y/n).”

“Pretty name.” He spoke absentmindedly as he peered out the side windows. The earth shook again. “Damn it where are those detectives?”

The door to your compartment of the ambulance swung open and you screamed again. Leslie screamed in response as Dr. Jimenez and an unknown woman hoisted him into the vehicle. Nurse mode activated; you sprung forward to take Leslie. Pulling him into you as you shushed him with reassurances. The look on Dr. Jimenez face was of contempt and surprise, though he said nothing. “Detective Kidman!” Officer Connelly spoke to the woman. She moved up to the separating window to converse quietly. You set Leslie on the ambulance bench and began looking around the cupboards for anything helpful. Nothing, this ambulance had nothing in it. Resorting to the ‘old fashioned way’ you returned to Leslie’s side and tried shooing of the doctor. “He doesn’t like to be touched, doctor.” You put your arm over Leslie to shield him from the doctor. He leaned into you and clung to your cardigan; the earth shook violently and you looked out the back door windows. The city seemed to be collapsing, buildings shifted and burned in a twisted dance. “If Castellanos and Oda don’t come out soon were gonna’ have to leave them; Kidman we have three other lives to worry about now.” The officer’s voice drifted through the noise. The ambulance was suddenly thrown backward. Officer Connelly cried into the speaker.

“Detective! Get in! Get In!”

There was a boom of shattering glass and the world shook again but this time much closer. The ambulance lurched downwards as you could see the ground behind the vehicle disappear into a chasm. Your arm flew around Leslie to force him against the seat as there were no seatbelts. If you broke an arm who cared, Leslie mattered more in your blind panic as the ambulance revved and did its best to pull away from the hole. A familiar face jumped through the passenger side window, Sebastian Castellanos. Wait. Was Joseph here too? Was he okay?

Bursting through the Iron Gate shook the whole cab. Your arm did little to protect Leslie as you were both jostled; his hands flew up to cup his ears. “Hey, where’s Joseph?” you could hear over the sound of the cab and your racing heartbeat. “Man, I’m sorry but he never came out. I’da waited but…” Your head spun to the back door, was Joseph still back there? Was the hospital engulfed too? Everything in the cab became a dull noise as you stared fixated on what you left behind. The world seemed to crash around you; the ambulance barely making it through two perfectly cut moving plates of buildings. Sebastian after peering around at the building falling directly at them sat back in the seat. The radio crackled upon entering a tunnel, the city was leveled with no explanation. You Jimenez, and who you assumed was detective Kidman were huddled around Leslie. Trying to alleviate his stress you created a shell around him to try and prevent Jimenez from touching him. Of course, the good doctor didn’t care and grabbed onto the poor boy, in his face trying to tell him to calm down. Calling back into the cab you and Kidman looked up at him “Just a few bumps, we’re fine.” She spoke in return.” Leslie began to repeat the word fine quietly to himself. “We’ll be fine once we’re far away…” Jimenez added. Sebastian returned to looking out the front window, but a new figure caught in the rearview mirror. It was the man from the security footage; his bloody and tattered robe shielding his face but was clearly gazing at the back passengers. Hands balled into fists but when Sebastian spun to confirm the reflection he was gone.

“FALL!” Leslie cried over and over, his eyes turning color and what appeared to be soot covered his cheeks. The ambulance lurched again causing you to fall to the floor. A high pitched ringing could be heard again and you covered your ears in pain. You could hear muffled screaming before utter weightlessness; everyone in the cab flew upwards as the hospital careened off a cliff. Hearing a resounding crumple of metal before your world went black again.

Waking you could smell fire and Sebastian’s distinct cologne. He was above you calling you back to the world of the living. He helped you sit up as you rubbed your head. “S- Sebastian… what happened?”

“You’re okay (y/n); the ambulance fell off a cliff.” He looked around the dense forest which surrounded you both. “I’m not sure how we got here though…”

“Where’s Leslie?!” You jolted and your head spun looking for him.

“I’m not sure (y/n)”

“Oh, Please you must help me find him, Sebastian!” You grabbed his vest and pulled yourself to him, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. “Please! He’s all I have left! Josephs gone! Ruvik’s gone!” You wailed into the night, the tears flowing freely as the shock faded and you fell into the dire state your life had become. Sebastian’s thumb brushed your cheek to wipe the tears away. “Of course (y/n). We’re going to find everyone and get somewhere safe; I promise.” He grasped your hand and stood, pulling you up with him. “Let’s go find them.”


	10. Chapter 10

You and Sebastian had been seemingly teleported into a dense forest in the middle of butt fuck  
nowhere. It felt like you were naked out here with nothing to help yourself with; Sebastian had lost his gun amongst the crash and crawling back into a burning ambulance to look for it wasn’t exactly the best thing ever. You stared into the darkness of the forest, Sebastian searched the area for anything useful. He’d found a strange dual syringe, surely you would know about it? “Hey! (y/n)!” He held the syringe up and called over to you. “Would you know what’s in this?” Tilting your head and walking over you took the old device from his hands, careful not to stick yourself with the uncovered needles. The contents sloshed slowly, a viscous fluid surely but the device had no labels or any way to indicate what could be inside them; the syringe was a build you never saw before and while dual syringes existed and you’ve used your fair share they never looked so… menacing. “Sebastian… I- I don’t know what could be in here. Where did you find this?” He took the device back from you and shoved it away into one of the pockets on his belt. “It may be useful later. Come on, let’s get moving.” Sebastian turned away and began heading into the night. He wasn’t talkative, that was sure right but you couldn’t afford to get lost now, so you jogged after him into the darkness.

Eventually, after walking through darkness and over a rotting deer carcass you both came across a lit lantern upon the edge of a steep hill. You could have called it a cliff but there was definitely a way down if you tried hard enough. “Hey!” you heard Sebastian shout of to a lit tent below. There was a person stumbling into the shelter; though it was hard to tell who they were due to the shroud of night. Sebastian, however, decided that it was necessary to slide down the hill, leaving you stranded atop in the dark. “W-wait Sebastian!” starting down the hill carefully despite your lack of vision; your voice caused him to halt and instead of going to the tent he turned to shine the light on the hillside. You were stretched along the steepest part of the hill, your hands clasping the ledge while you dangled trying to use your feet to find a new ledge but instead, they swung wildly in the air. You weren’t that high up and you could hear Sebastian chuckle. “Don’t worry (y/n)” He set the Lantern on the grass. “I’m coming.”

You screamed when you felt him touch your thigh; your arms didn’t give you a great field of vision besides the side of the hill. “Relax (y/n), it’s just me, you can let go. I’ll catch ya.” Swallowing you closed your eyes and let go. Red, and figures. People you never seen before were pushing you on a gurney as they pulsed in between swaths of red; then you hit Sebastian’s chest. A resounding “oomph!” brought you out of the hallucination. Sebastian helped you climb down the last couple rocks before returning to his lantern, fastening it to his belt. “Sorry Sebastian, I just didn’t want to get left behind…”

“Don’t mention it…” Sebastian drifted off and his attention fixed on the tent. A faint noise drifting from within as a shadow was cast along a cliff wall behind it; whoever it was, was shoveling something into their mouth at an alarming rate. Reminding you of old zombie movies. The faint sound of eating was wet and nauseating; the two of you creeping closer to the tent. Sebastian could see a man crouched over a crumpled person, his hand coming up to silently keep you from coming closer as he reached down to pick up a forgotten handgun. Pointing it at the Blue-clad crouched man. “Connelly…?” He inquired carefully; a human head fell from his grip and you screeched once more. Half the skull was missing and what appeared to be Connelly lunged towards Sebastian, taking the full wrath of his gun. The first two shots didn’t take him down, like a true zombie the beast rose again to its full height before charging once more. A well-placed headshot put it down for good. “My god, Connelly…” 

“What the fuck…” you spoke under your breath, Sebastian was panting with adrenaline as he backed up to you and pulled you close. “Stay close to me. Understand?”

“Y-yeah.”

He pulled you along through a tight gap between cliff sides, slipping a little on the loose stones. Once again traveling through the darkness until a white-clad figure stood out in the night. Sebastian whipped out his gun once more, being on high alert but you could recognize that shaky form from any distance. “Leslie!” you called, dashing ahead of Sebastian towards your ward, Sebastian dashing after you. “Hurts… hurts…” was all you heard before Sebastian caught you by the collar, bringing you to a dead stop. A tiny fishing line glowing in the light of the lantern. “Woah.” Sebastian pulled you back from the wall mounted bomb. “Were you warning us about this?” You were frozen in shock. You’d almost died, you forgot what Sebastian JUST told you. “You’re Leslie, right? I’m a police officer. Maybe I should help you.”  
Finding your voice again you stood out of Sebastian’s grip. “Leslie sweetie it’s me (y/n). Are you hurt?”

“Should help you…” Leslie spoke as he spun in place, his hands digging into this own flesh as Sebastian mumbled about getting to a hospital as he started defusing the bomb. Though Hospital was loud enough to trigger Leslie and he backed away into the darkness repeating the word until it became a scream and then silence. “LESLIE?? LESLIE SWEETIE COME BACK!” The small wire on the trap came loose and you took a step forward, calling again for Leslie but Sebastian’s big hand engulfed your shoulder, spinning you back to face him. “Do not run ahead again.” His voice was stern and you felt like a child being scolded, though you did earn it, but it was still embarrassing. “I just can’t protect you if you run ahead like that.” He patted the top of your head, at least the scolding was coming from a good place. Taking your hand Sebastian led you deeper, to a pool of moonlight shining in from the sky. You had entered a cave at some point? Leading into more forest, like it never ended and you would be trapped within its depths forever.

A fence leads off into the distance and large puffs of fluffy hay-like grass sprouted and swayed in the moonlight. Like a path to anywhere it beckoned, but nothing else was competing with it and it was the only place you could go. Sebastian stepped out of the cave’s maw, starting through the field with his gun held by his thigh. The wind swept your hair lightly as you followed; its motion calming as it pushed you forward into the unknown. The breeze behind you masked the stench of what lay ahead. A rotting body stared up at you. Its mouth blood-soaked and fingers torn raw. While you’d seen plenty of the dead in your time, hell you even dealt with them directly and prepped them for their new journey out of your care. Still, the image of a corpse lying abandoned, perhaps never found if you hadn’t found them sent a shiver down your spine. Beside it was a box of matched, Sebastian tossed them to you. “Here, you need your own light source too. It’s probably best in case we get separated.” There were only two matches but it was better than nothing.

 

Traveling on a short way, really just to the left of the corpse. This forest was so thick; you really hadn’t traveled that far from the cave, you just couldn’t see that far ahead. The door was curious, drawn in a red substance (you weren’t sure if you wanted to know what it was) was the Beacon Mental Hospital insignia. The light tower shone brightly in its own sphere upon the door; every employee wore a matching one upon their lab coats, uniforms, ID badges, anything. Sebastian pushed open the door to the small shack, but he froze in the door. His eyes following something that wasn’t there; perhaps you weren’t the only one hallucinating. He followed over to a mirror and was seemingly lost within his own gaze, trapped within the mirrors ornate frame.  
You moved around him to explore the table. A large jar full of a smelly green substance and a police journal, it was Sebastian’s from years ago. 2004 felt like both yesterday and a million year ago. Suddenly the mirror shattered and Sebastian was free. Moving in the blinding light pouring from the cracked glass and a quiet melody drifted from somewhere. “You okay Sebastian?” reaching out to touch his shoulder. “You went really quiet there for a while; I couldn’t get you out of the mirror.”

“Y-yeah…” He nodded. “I’m fine. We should keep going.”

You nodded and followed him out the door into the night once again. Following Sebastian you spotted Leslie once again, he was being chased by another monster. Gasping, Sebastian pulled you low to the ground and a single index finger up to his lips in a sign of silence. He pulled out a knife that glittered in the moonlight. Crouching as he walked slowly towards the thing beating on the door Leslie ran through; your heart broke as you sat in the grass. Bolting upright soon as Sebastian stabbed and cast the corpse aside, you caught up with him, mouth open to call for Leslie but deciding against it for fear of alerting anything else lurking in the night. The door was open the whole time, yet the thing was beating it relentlessly. Leslie wasn’t inside but running from the house after escaping a large open window. “LESLIE!!” You called after him in an effort to stop him but it was no use. Again he disappeared into the darkness once more.

You both climbed through the window, with Sebastian’s help of course and ran after Leslie. The buildings became more common and the forest thinned out as you came upon another house, though this was more like an old farm shack with a large fire in front of it. You were hidden behind a large stack of hay bales when a Man stumbled out of the crushed home. His breathing stained and short; Sebastian stepped out as this man seemed to be safe. “Hey, are you guys from around here?” He held you behind the bale, out of sight so you guessed another person had come out of the house after the first. “I don’t know where…” Sebastian trailed off as the man mumbled something quietly. A bright beam covered the earth from off to the left; Sebastian’s body blocked you from its cover, though he winced from its brightness and you could hear the man from earlier whine as a sickeningly warped noise began. He cried out in pain before a loud sound hit your ears, it was the scraping of metal and the snap of a spine. “Stay here. Be quiet.” Sebastian whispered as you could hear heavy labored breathing. After he left you could hear the sounds of what you hoped was Sebastian punching whatever it was. Peeking from around the hay bale you had to muffle your scream. Two monsters wrapped and impaled upon barbed wire. It looked like one had its face ripped in twain.   
You turned back behind the bale and prayed they wouldn’t find you; both hands clasped over your mouth as you rocked quietly. This had to be a dream, there’s no way this could be real. No human could move or look that way.

Eventually, Sebastian came back for you, he had a few small cuts along his arm and face. You took the hand he held out to you and stood up, leaning into his broad chest. You were shaking, unsure of where you were and downright horrified of the things you saw. You and Sebastian stood there for a minute, his arms circling your tiny body within them. “We’re going to be okay (y/n). The men are gone, they won’t come back and you’re safe now.” He turned to walk you, an effort to keep moving through you both were pulled down a path to a pier jutting out over a large lake. Previously unnoticed but on the other side sat a dark structure, the light from earlier being cast from the large light tower. Walking to the end of the pier made you feel like you were adrift in an ocean of fog; the damn thing was so long and old you probably could have fallen through if there was one more person on it with you. “I feel like I’m being pulled just looking at it.” Sebastian said staring straight ahead; the single beam of light making its rounds along the opposite side of the structure. You both managed to tear yourselves away and return back to land, continuing on the well-worn path etched into the ground from years of use. The road was long and stressful; many of the beasts littered the path and you were even blocked by a large wooden door and a huge group of the things hanging out. They chased you both onto a bridge. Unable to escape the bridge Sebastian hoisted you over his shoulder and began scaling the wooden fixtures along its side. Leaping with you into what you could call a wooden slide, falling into the water. Sebastian held you underwater until the beasts turned and left.

Leaving you two to break the surface, both of you breathing heavily. Your hair plastered to your face as you let your head fall back and you slipped into floating rather than treading water. “Oh thank god…” Sebastian chuckled. “You said it.” The gentle tread of water now the only thing you could hear.


	11. Chapter 11

The water grew cold after the adrenaline wore off; it was even colder now you had hoisted yourself out of it. Your legs felt numb as you stood and helped Sebastian out of the water as well. You squeezed your hair in an effort to remove the water, giving up on your cardigan as it was waterlogged and no amount of squeezing could save it. It hit the stones along the bank with a wet plop. “Gross.” Sebastian laughed. “That’s what gets you (y/n)? After all, we just went through this is what disgusts you?” He crouched with his hands on his knees, laughing into the ground. You puffed your cheeks in a pout. “No! I just didn’t have the time before!” Laughing as well and rocking back on your heels.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Sebastian stood once more, scanning the area on the best way to escape this predicament. There was only one way to go and that was to follow the wooden path lain in front of you, there must have been people down here at some point before all this happened. There were laundry lines with blood spattered linen, looking as fresh as the day it was ruined. Soon you reached an old stone staircase that moaned with the wind. A heap of corpses blocked your path, to which you and Sebastian carefully stepped over; the fear that one would awaken and grab your leg clung to the back of your mind the remaining way up the staircase. It led you into a village, some debris falling behind you, barely scraping your back as it tumbled over your entrance. “Shit.” Sebastian mumbled looking back at it. “It’s not like we could have gone anywhere else.” You spoke, peering into the fog covered buildings. Maybe someone safe was in there somewhere and you could take refuge. You moved in the shadows that hung off the buildings; bodies, strung from the overpass swayed lightly in the breeze like a disturbed wind chime. The wood around you creaking and moaning with the wind, squealing a faint warning to leave, and never look back. Combing through the open buildings was no better, everyone was dead and everything reminded you of a serial killer’s wet dream.

You could hear a faint call on the breeze that sounded hauntingly familiar. You peeked out a sheet covered window only to see no one. Sebastian pulled you away from the window to exit through an adjacent door. A figure framed by the door caused Sebastian to draw his gun and call out. “Who’s there?”

“No, don’t shoot!”

Your spot behind Sebastian didn’t allow you the best vision but you knew who it was.  
“I’m not one of “them.” I’m a doctor; Marcelo Jimenez.” He had his hands up in the air, his voice shaky and panicked, a part of you wished Sebastian would just pull the trigger already and get it over with. Sebastian broke your thoughts. “You were in the ambulance before it crashed, right?”

“Yes, we’re lucky to be alive.”

“Have you seen anyone else?”

Despite their conversation, your thoughts were swirling, where was Leslie? What was happening?

“My patient, Leslie. I saw him running up ahead, but…”

“But what doctor?!” finally bursting into the conversation. “Did you lose Leslie again because you can’t be fucking assed to protect your clients?!” Moving from around Sebastian to face him head-on, the doctor looked less than pleased. He sighed. “Come this way, quietly mind you…” Giving you a pointed glare before moving to the left and onto an open balcony. He gestured out to the open. “Have a look for yourself…” Jimenez handed Sebastian a pair of binoculars and you squinted as hard as you could. Moving figures of the monsters were scuttling about below, some carrying pickaxes and other horrid ways to meet one’s end. “Those… things… chased me all the way into the village.”

“Us too. They’re all over the place.”

Jimenez pointed once more to something you couldn’t see, it was hidden behind a building. “Leslie went through that gate.” As is to punctuate Jimenez’s sentence you could hear a booming thud. “Good lord…”

“What? Did it shut?” An innocent inquiry but Jimenez still gave you a look as if to ask of your intelligence. The man really didn’t fucking like you did he?

Sebastian broke your stare. “There are too many to shoot our way through.”

“One of us could try to lure them away while the other gets the gate open. You’re the one with the gun…” He trailed off, looking at you again he was probably hoping you’d do it instead.   
“If you say so…” Sebastian set the binoculars on the railing and turned to face you both, drawing his gun and reloading some ammo. “(y/n) let’s find you somewhere to hide you.”

“O- Oh but can’t you just take her with you?”

You were about to consider going through with beating the ever-loving fuck out of the doctor but Sebastian once again interjected. “It’s easier to move with just one person, and (y/n) is a friend, I don’t want her to get hurt.” Sebastian pulled you by the hand past the doctor, there wasn’t any really good place to hide you, and he didn’t want you too far from him but still not close enough to get hurt. Sebastian looked upwards at a thick rafter. “How good are you at climbing?” “You’ll have to help me…” Sebastian then lifted you up by your legs and pushed you into the ceiling; you could hear loud grunts and shouts from outside as Jimenez went off to get himself killed. Maybe he’d do the world a favor. Sebastian gave you a big push and you hauled yourself atop the rafter; straddling it and gripping for dear life.

“You’ll come back right?”

“Promise.” Sebastian said before disappearing out of the house. You could hear the yells of the horde outside. The time began to tick away, and the beam began digging into your flesh; you could hear a chainsaw now and the occasional curse from Sebastian. You were about to get off the beam when you heard the door handle click, and slowly turn. In walked a monster, its face shrouded by a terrifying porcelain mask, in its hand was a gun. Your breath froze, sure you’d dealt with clients in some hairy situations but none had ever held a gun. A flash of lightning and the thunder followed; the monster stopped right underneath your position and its head slowly, craned backward you could hear the vertebrae in its neck crack under its contortion until it was looking right up at you. The mask had a stretched smile that was too close to a real sinister expression. It’s right index finger coming up to silence your scream; gun raising upwards slowly. There was no way this thing was a zombie, but you had to act now. Rolling off the beam, you fell onto the assailant, your fall causing him to misfire into the wall. The gunshot going unheard in the sea of chainsaw squeals and rapid gunshots from outside. You surprisingly still had some still had some adrenaline in you.

It took all your strength but you managed to stay atop the beast and wrestle for the gun; all you could hear was the blood pumping in your veins and the gunshot that was terrifyingly close to your head. Without thinking you palmed the barrel of the gun pushing it off to the side and bashing the mask with your free palm. The gun clicked and you assumed it was empty due to no gunshot and a lack of a burning palm from the gunpowder. Your assailants grip on the weapon loosened just enough to let you grab it, holding him down and bashing the butt of the gun into its face. Blood splattered on your face as you brought the weapon down again and again; breaking through the mask and bone. You eventually hit the floor with how hard you hit. The resounding thud of the wood brought you down from your high, the threat was gone and tears fell from your eyes once more. You fell over on the side, clutching the gun close to your chest as you dry heaved. Your hands were covered with its vicious blood, as was your face and hair. The chainsaw had stopped and it was quiet.

“(Y/N)!?” your name drifted through the hall, Sebastian came back for you; once he saw your state the footsteps quickened as he ran to you. Grabbing your small form from the floor and inspecting you like a doll from your catatonic state. “(Y/N) are you okay? Are you hurt??” Your hands gripped onto his vest, creating two red streaks down his vest.

“I- I had no…” 

You mumbled into space. You’d never felt this way before, a conflict or guilt relief and pleasure. An odd sick jealousy sat in the back of your throat; was this normal?  
Sebastian wiped the blood from your face with his hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you for so long. You did so well though; I’m so proud of you. You survived…” He held you close and rocked you. “Is this where you two have been?” Jimenez was at the door. “I can’t lift the gate myself. Now if you two are done… with whatever happened in here… Come along.” Leaving with the fluttering of his coat, Sebastian picked you up. Cradling you against his chest as he took the empty gun from the floor and deposited it into his empty side holster. You passed out before reaching the gate; unaware of your awaiting visitor. The aura he held made Sebastian hesitate, unsure who his gaze was fixated on and his hands clasped so tight that the knuckles shone a clear white against the burnt and pale skin. He held you tightly after Ruvik dissipated, unsure if he should set you down. Jimenez followed with the chainsaw left behind by the large brute he fought minutes ago.

Setting you a distance away from the whirring blade, and bringing it down onto the obstructing chain setting the door free and clearing a path to whatever horrors lay ahead. With the broken chainsaw discarded and you safely back in his grasp, Sebastian began to forge ahead. 

“Wait…! Over here!” Jimenez jogged to catch up to the detective. “Wait, uh, officer. You must take me with you.”

“Detective;” Castellanos”

“Leslie should be just up ahead. It is imperative that we find him.”

The three traveled through the gate as is slammed shut behind them. Again locking them to their forward trek that could only have more horror in store despite how they barely made it from the claws of the horde.


	12. Chapter 12

Dead to the world around you, swimming in your own dream. You expected to feel pain, but the barbed wire encircling your limbs only felt like a soft rope. Again you were in front of your previous assailant, the beast charging you loudly. It’s muffled screams escaping its smiling mask. The wire held you like a puppet, it snaking around your body to hold it standing and raise your pistol encumbered hands. Leveling at the beast while it drew closer; the wire circling around the trigger and pulling. The beast burst into flame and the Barbed wire burst through your skin but you don’t scream. Instead, a sense of calm fills you as you float tightly wrapped within its embrace. The wire reminds you of someone familiar, someone you’ve lost but you can’t quite place it. “You’ve done so well… I’m so proud of you (y/n).” Ruvik’s voice echoed through your dream, the ghosts of warm hands ran along your body. Groping at your flesh from your thighs and slowly up your body; reaching your clavicle and advancing upon your neck as your mouth fell open into a silent moan.

You jolted awake before the hands could grasp your throat, spooking Sebastian as you convulsed in his arm. “You okay?” His voice was calm as he walked you both to another ominous structure. “W- Where are we?” You were set down by the detective, legs still a little weak and the spark of arousal alive within you. Missing the friction that came with Sebastian’s arms already. “A Hospice, your friend Dr. Jimenez said Leslie was treated here previously.”

“B- But that’s more than three states away from Krimson city…” Sebastian supported you as you walked together, your arm linked in his. Regardless you still stumbled along the ground.   
“Well let’s just hope his brother isn’t a jerk too…” You laughed, slipping again on some loose gravel, though you didn’t fall far as Sebastian’s arm was unrelenting in supporting you. There was no way this place could be a working hospice, it was derelict and in shambles. A lumbering monster, plump in its shape milled about on the pathway to the Hospice, luckily it failed to notice you and Sebastian as you crept past. Sparing it to its own chain wrapped existence. Ducking into another small shack along the path, you were met with a familiar ornate mirror, Sebastian approached it and light burst forth from its reflective surface, your friend once again lost within its gaze. You kept watch as something told you that breaking Sebastian from the mirror wasn’t possible. His body shook as he stared, this lips mouthing what looked like the word fine over and over. Music once again drifting into your ears.

Breaking from the mirror Sebastian recoiled and pushed back into Jimenez who had quietly entered the small shack. “Please, this way. We must find my patient Leslie.” Jimenez spoke in a tone you never heard before. It felt honest and somewhere near fear and longing. Sebastian was truly a skilled detective as his composure seemed to have never faltered, hell if you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you’d never believe it had happened.  
Just as the outside, the inside was no better, the walls were dirty and cracked, and you could hear an incessant sloshing and what sounded like mumbling deeper in the hospice. You hoped you’d find Leslie and that it wasn’t this bad when he was here originally. You almost tripped on a broken leg from a nearby couch that would have made for a fun splinter.

“The good doctor is here…”

A voice you could hear drifting from the next room. Darting through the scraps of fabric that divided the space, to your immediate left was what you could call a platform or a stage, surrounded by partitions though they did little for privacy as the lighting behind them illuminated who you assumed was the doctor and a featureless mass beside him. “Peels away… no tearing…” you could see slightly between the gaps in the partitions, it was like an operating room. “Expose everything…” The man kept mumbling to himself and Sebastian moved around you, heading up the small stair to the stage. “Hush, Hush… Don’t you fret…” The man’s voice was heavy, almost panting; deciding perhaps you should stand back, you kept behind Sebastian though Jimenez weaved past and B-lined right for the opening in the partition walls.  
“Doc, no, don’t…” Sebastian reached out for the man but he was too quick and dead set on his destination. Forcing you and Sebastian to move up behind him.

“Valerio, it’ me!” There was no acknowledgment from the working man; Jimenez turned to introduce you both to him. “This is my brother, Valerio, Leslie’s original doc-“Though he was cut short, standing frozen and staring at the man he called family. You could see why. Blood and flesh lay about the floor, what looked like a kidney falling from the doctor’s hand to join the rest. The smell of rotting flesh finally hit you, causing you to gag and cover your mouth.

“Expose everything…” The man, Valerio was still mumbling, lost in his own world while he mutilated the rotting fellow on his examination table. Why there was one here you had no idea.

“Hey, what are you doing?’

Sebastian broke the mounting silence, you swear it felt like you could hear a rising crescendo in your ears, adding to the tension. The doctor’s face was no better as he turned to face the three of you; his flesh melting down his skull, the bone exposed. The scowl he wore was completed with unnaturally glowing eyes. Raising a small sickle like tool, the man lumbered towards you breath becoming a rage-filled heave. Sebastian was fast as he drew his gun and fired into the man. Though this did not slow him down; swinging Sebastian backed into you causing you to stumble back, and back away further with the retreating Jimenez. Sebastian once again ducked out of the sickles path, giving him more distance in the small room to fire two more shots into Valerio. Collapsing to the floor, dead. Humans don’t require more than one headshot to kill them, let alone 5. Sebastian turned towards to, the front of his vest adorning a slight slice from the battle.

 

Sebastian opened his mouth but before any sound could escape the world began to shake and the rising crescendo became louder, painful and through your eyes like vapor the doctor reappeared. He screamed about itching as he pulled away at his scalp, only to evaporate before your eyes. “How could he have done that to Valerio…” Jimenez spoke to himself behind you. Sebastian staring at the corpse, still rotting and silent. “Impossible… couldn’t be Ruvik…” Jimenez was lost in his own world; Sebastian, however, advanced to the corpse circling the table to peer at a table. “There’s keys inside him…”

“Oh, Okay Sebastian…” Your statement dry but barely bordering on a question.

“We need to cut him open. We need those keys…”

“Okay, nu-uh! Nope! Why the fuck do we need dead guy keys? For all, we know there to his diary.” Crossing your arms into an X before folding them over your chest. How could random keys be helpful in any way? This wasn’t a video game. Regardless Sebastian returned to the corpse, staring down at its chest, its incision still gaping open.

“Sebastian, don’t…” 

He fucking did; plunging his hand, bare mind you straight into the corpse and feeling around the various organs still left inside. As is to play on a horror movie trope, the corpse jumped to life and grabbed onto Sebastian. Screaming into his ear and shoving him to the floor before falling dead on the table once again. Getting up to try again you couldn’t take it. “Fuck sakes; Sebastian I’ll do it. Hold him down.” You stormed to the tableside. Sebastian following and holding down the shoulders of the man. “Gross…” You followed in Sebastian’s steps, hand sinking into the body while Jimenez twiddled his thumbs in the corner. This was nothing like the ER, sure you’d help keep things but never gone fishing inside someone’s thoracic cavity of your own free will. Your fingers felt down the esophagus, past the sliced diaphragm to the stomach. You squeezed it, feeling for the keys. It made a small sound and you could feel the stomach acid mold around your grip. It wasn’t there. Again your hands traveled, moving around the cavity freely in an effort to find anything.

“Yeep!” Your fingers bumped into the keys, their appearance spooking you, hand drawing back slightly before grabbing them and ripping them from the corpse. Small amounts of scar tissue came with the keys, they had been in this man’s body a long time. Slamming them on the small surgical table, pulled to the bedside and scanning for a towel or sink to wash. “Thank fucking god that’s done. I’m not digging through corpses for you anymore Sebastian.” Taking a scrap piece of what you hoped was clean fabric with you; you stormed back into the foyer of the hospice, waiting for Sebastian and Jimenez to catch up.

 

You all ventured upstairs, tall human-like objects draped in cloth standing ominously in the darkness. It was a fruitless endeavor though as you reached the foot of the stairs you heard a shout from outside. “Leslie!” You called running towards the sound outside. Calling for your boy into the night as strange apparitions of burning ghosts jumped at you. Head swinging wildly in search. Sebastian and Jimenez barely able to keep up with you. “Help! Help!” Leslie called up ahead, you pace quickening’ following Leslie into a house, nearly jumping down the stairs to the basement after him. “Leslie sweetie it’s me!” Bursting into a photo development room into the back where Leslie stood, cowering. Running to the poor boy and crouching down to meet his cast gaze. “Leslie sweetie it’s okay, I’m here now. I’m here…” Jimenez immediately throwing himself onto Leslie yelling for him to calm down. You had to pry the doctor off you boy; using yourself as a shield to separate the two as Leslie coward into your arms. “You can’t touch him like that doctor, you know how sensitive Leslie is!”

The door to the studio burst open, drawing the detective’s attention, you stood in front of Leslie, keeping his sight from whatever came in; Jimenez moving in front of you both. Silence and a sloshing wet sound were all you could hear, the room becoming thick like the smog that coated the air. “Something here…” Leslie spoke into your chest, Jimenez again ordering him to settle down. You could hear the cocking oh Sebastian’s handgun. “Something scary…” A blast rang out at Sebastian shot. “No. No.” You pet Leslie’s hair as another shot rang throughout the room, whispering small shh’s into his ear. Something fell to the floor, Jimenez moving to see what the verdict was. “Is it over? Are you still out there?”

“Everything’s fine now, is there anywhere safe at all?”

“I think that’s unlikely…” Jimenez grabbed Leslie by the arm and began walking him away from you. “Can’t get out. Can’t get out.” Leslie mumbled to you as you caught up, your right arm going to his back to rub small circles. He always liked that after a bad dream, so you hoped it would help. “We must be going. This way!” Jimenez called back to the detective as he led you both out of the room. Exiting back into the hall Jimenez let go of Leslie and ran to the now solid wall in front of you. “The stairs are gone…” Speaking to no one in particular, you were mainly just stunned and your observation slipped out without even thinking. 

“We must be collectively losing our minds” Sebastian had caught up behind you though this had set Leslie off, his head fell back and he called out. “…Losing our minds!!” Repeating it louder and louder. Jimenez and Sebastian turned to stare behind the group. “Oh god… no…” Jimenez’s voice was full of dread and you were scared to look over your shoulder but you did. Turning your head to a familiar figure at the end of the hall. His eyes opened to stare directly at you.

“RUVIK!” You and Jimenez said simultaneously, though you were the one shouting. “It is you…” Leslie toppled over shouting in pain but you could barely hear him. You and Sebastian turned to advance on him. Jimenez screamed something but you couldn’t hear anything anymore. Deaf, you began running, Sebastian darting after you, arm outstretched to try and grab you but man you were fucking fast. Ruvik raised his arms, holding them out to you and you’d never seen anything more welcoming in your life. You crashed into him, sobbing with your hands gripping into his coat so tight you could probably rip it. His hands were soft on your back as they stroked mindless patterns into your spine. These were the hands from your dream.

“Oh god, Ruvik I’ve been so worried! It’s you… It’s you, I’m not dreaming…”

his voice was hot in your ear though his body was frigid.

“Of course my dear, I have you. You’re safe now… You’re safe with me…”


	13. Chapter 13

Ruvik held you tighter then you thought possible. His nose buried into your hair, inhaling deeply and pressing a kiss into your hair. He held you from him, eyes scanning your bloodied and disheveled appearance. Letting out a light huff he lifts his tattered robe and tries to wipe off some of the dried blood from your form. Now you could see his chest, scarred and dry. It looked extremely painful, you reached out to caress the edge of the scar where it met his pale flesh. Eyes training up, the burn covered a large portion of the body; your brows furrowing with concern. How long had Ruvik been like this? Meeting his gaze as you scanned upwards, his lips curled into a small smile that reached up into his eyes. “I’m sorry (y/n)…”

“Eh? Ruvik what do you mean?”

He brushed a strand of hair from your face. “Look what they’ve done to you… bloodied and beaten. You don’t deserve to be here.” His left-hand moves to cup your face, thumb rubbing your cheek. Your eyes full of curiosity while your lips parted slightly, you wanted to know but you had too many questions to ask they all slipped out as a simple “What?”

“(Y/n) I need you to stay by my side, this world is dangerous. STEM is dangerous; I couldn’t stand to lose you again. Please…”

“The machine… you put Leslie in for therapy. This is… How?”

“My darling, this world is of my own making, I am the brain you saw within the STEM’s tank. My own demons have shaped the world you see now, Leslie did not come here when under my care.” A fat ass lie but you didn’t need to know that. This world was as unstable as the crumbling buildings within it, Ruvik could simply control it. After all, he made it why wouldn’t he crown himself king of his own design.

“But what about the others, what about Leslie?”

“Leslie is safe, nothing will hurt him. Forget about the others, they may fight for themselves.”

“But-“

“I can’t protect everyone (y/n). I may have some new magical powers but I can’t control everything, there are dangerous creatures in here. Ones I can’t control.” His hands rested on your shoulders and his head hung low. “Okay Ruvik, I don’t really understand but I trust you.” He bounced back quickly and pulled you back into his embrace, the shift was jarring, to say the least. Your eyes were blocked by his flesh but you felt yourself grow lighter and Ruvik felt less solid, like a ghost. You couldn’t place the sound you heard but if it was an onomatopoeia it would be like a “zwoop!” but you had moved somewhere sunny; you turned your head from scarred flesh to the sunroom you and Ruvik had previously shared, though without the attached manor. You were both smack dab in the middle of a sunflower field with nothing else around. Like before hot tea and cakes sat warm on the sunlit table. You swung your head back to gaze at Ruvik, he relished in your shocked expression. He would be the one to cause any emotion you had from now on. He was all you needed.

“Like I said, magical powers~”

You laughed, while the joke was a little odd, especially after his previous outburst it set you at ease as his hands slid down your body to hold your hands. “Your laugh fills me with an emotion I can’t describe (y/n)… I want you next to me always and to take care of you forever. When Jimenez separated us that night and ripped me from my body I realized that you meant so much more to me then I had previously thought. I need you (y/n).” He spoke fast, gasping at the end of his confession, this time the bandages were not there to hide his face red as a tomato. His hands gripping yours tightly, afraid you’d be torn away from him again.

“Ruvik, are you saying that you love me?”

“If that’s what this feeling is… yes.”

INTERNAL SCREAMING. Damn the fact you’d already fallen for both him and Joseph, but now you had to pick. Your dumb ass just had to be good at falling blindly in love huh? You stood in shock, staring at the scared man while he stepped closer to you. Leaning down and planting his lips upon yours, they were cold but full of life. His hands moved to your head and pull you closer and you did not hesitate your own hands grabbing the front of his coat and pushing back against him. He was under your skin now and you didn’t want him anywhere else.

Sebastian couldn’t believe his eyes, not only was he separated from both Leslie and the doctor but Ruvik had seemingly whisked you away as well. You ran after Ruvik but to Sebastian, the man only turned away, taking you with him as he blipped out of existence. “What the… (Y/n)? Doctor? Leslie?” He was now alone in the endless hallway, the red overhead lights casting a hellish glow on the stone. Sebastian’s world pulsing in and out of his current reality. It felt like falling through the floor could happen at any reoccurring pulse that coated the hallway. Human remains scattered along the floor stared back at him with their empty eye sockets. Sebastian did the only thing he could and began running to the door at the end of the hall. It was never in reach. Every time he made it to the frame it would pulse and Sebastian would be back where had started. The fourth time he tried to reach the door slammed open and a cascade of blood came pouring out, if Sebastian didn’t have to worry about being swept away by it he would have considered it was eerily close to an old horror movie he saw once upon a time. Breaching the blood surface and standing fully upright in the now waist high pool Sebastian noted his location changed once more. “What is going on here?” This world was insane, there was no way this could be real and yet the blood in his socks felt all too real as it squished between his toes. Sebastian couldn’t afford to contemplate how all this blood came about, he had to move forward.

There were traps everywhere, but as he was about to make his escape Ruvik appeared, blocking the door. If this hadn’t already raised his hackles then the lack of you shot them through the roof. Sebastian drew his gun on the indifferent man who stared coldly in return. “Where is (Y/N)? What have you done with her?!” His scarred lips turned upwards, showing his upper teeth. Red particles burst from his pant legs and fluttered back to the now drained blood pit. Raising the dead as they arrived. They moaned in pain, turning to advance on the detective. As Sebastian turned to catch Ruvik again dissipating from the visual world he swore Ruviks lips mouthed “Mine.” Leaving him to the enclosing beasts what cried out for his flesh.

“Ruvik? Where did you go?” Your gaze breaking from the sunflowers to notice your partner had left somewhere but you weren’t sure how. The sunroom had nowhere to go, while the French and side doors were still there, a lack of steps prevented anyone from leaving quietly due to the drop. Being alone in the sunroom had you feeling trapped, like something in a petri dish to be watched. The sunflowers stared into your very soul. The French doors creaked open, in their arch stood Ruvik, but behind him seemed to be the rest of the manor despite the lack of structure through the glass panes surrounding you. He smiled seeing you, hands clasped over your breasts, standing with your ankles together like a ballerina; he had dreamed of this, coming home to you waiting for him. Sure the hot tea was his own creation but he liked to think you had set them out for him. “Fear not my dear.” He shut the door behind him, the illusion of the empty field set back in place. “I simply went to check on our dear boy Leslie… he’s much better without that doctor Jimenez”

“He’s not alone is he?”

“No my dear, he’s with the memories of his family. He’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. They will keep him safe.” He closed the gap between you, cupping your chin in his lithe fingers and directed your lips to his. Now that he had you, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to be touching you always, to have your lips against the skin that could still feel; around you, inside you. He wanted it all but he wanted you to walk into the trap. He would never force you into something, preferring to manipulate you into such acts as most of his fantasy was rooted in control and you’re longing for him. To his luck, you warmed up to his advances right away, welcoming his touch and kiss with equal vigor. Here you were exposed to him, your wants, your needs, the darkest thoughts pushed deep into the cerebral cortex that you’d only ever consider when you were utterly alone. As he ran the world to facilitate his escape he would lay you bare before him; pick apart your mind and use every morsel against you. He would break you here and rebuild you into who he knew you wanted to be. You would be his and you would both walk into the sunset of this warped adventure and submit to him fully, forever.

“Shall we?” Ruvik broke from your lips to gesture to the tea and cakes. You nodded and held his hand as you sat at the warm table. Ruviks thumb rubbing over your hand before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. Pouring tea and enjoying each other’s gaze you completely unaware to the hell Ruvik introduce Sebastian into as he, in turn, poured bullets into what Ruvik called his sister, reborn.


	14. Chapter 14

He had barely escaped. Sebastian lay on the floor, his shoulder bleeding slightly after escaping under a closing sliding door. Part of the metal had ripped his shirt sleeve and torn his flesh; Sebastian hissed in pain, adrenaline beginning to fade. The screams from the monster which chased him faded from the door along with the scraping of its long nails. Just as before Sebastian had no choice but to move forward and down a dimly lit staircase. The stairs didn’t touch the walls, which dripped what looked like rust and whatever else. Sebastian felt as if he was only going deeper into hell; each turn of the staircase felt like something would jump out at him.

Ruvik appeared once more, to which Sebastian drew his gun, firing a shot directly into Ruviks head. Unfazed the specter appeared closer to Sebastian, close enough to feel the breath leaving its nostrils. Sebastian backed up, this monster was not something to take lightly; so he ran. Turning on heels and ran back up the stairs as Ruvik followed. Smirking as Sebastian had nowhere to run from him. No escape; Ruvik was in complete control as he slowly advanced after the detective. Again Sebastian drew his gun and fired upon Ruvik and though they did nothing more than travel right through him, such resistance was taking up too much of his time. Changing tactics and deciding Sebastian had a sufficient amount of fear, Ruvik disappeared again. Shattering the staircase as he left; the supports shattered and the resounding noise drowned Sebastian’s eardrums in pain. He plummeted into the abyss, limbs flailing as the pit morphed into a hallway and crashing into the end wall. Once again upright, or at least close to it as Sebastian couldn’t really tell anymore. A bloody door with a lighthouse greeted him as he lifted his aching head off the floor. Where were you? Where was he, the doctor or Leslie? Where was anyone right now? Hell, maybe?

“Seems someone wants me hospitalized…” Sebastian murmured into the floor, trying to will his body to stand up. Sebastian wasn’t sure if he’d ever have adrenaline again after all that. Once he got you and the others out of here he’d have to ask you about a good psychologist. He pushed through the door to a small washroom, its mirror playing the calming classical tune he’d come to need.

Meanwhile, as Ruvik left to terrorize those who were trapped alongside him, you were uncomfortable, to say the least. Ruvik had left you with 4 near perfect copies of himself, though they eerily lacked a face. Under their hood was a black smoky void; they said nothing and only moved about the sunroom, or stood way too close to you while focusing their pointless stare upon you. One guarded the door, another sat across from you and the remaining two stood behind you. The one to your right gently petting your hair slowly. Your skin was crawling but they never responded to you; to requests or simple hellos. They were not your guards but your captors and that thought permeated your head. The door clicked open and the copies vanished into a mist which was sucked up the pant legs of your partner. You sat upright and your hands gripped onto the hem of your dress, smile beaming. He approached you, towering over your form but it was different from the copies. You felt safe under his shadow. “I’m glad your back Ruvik, I missed you…”

“Of course my dear, come here.” Ruvik took your hands and pulled you upright into his arms.

“Ruvik, please don’t leave me here with them again… they make me uncomfortable…”

His hand came up to cup your face, thumb rubbing across your cheek, this face blank while his eyes danced across your face. “My dear, they are to protect you.”

“How? N- Nothing comes in here but you… They stand too close. One kept touching my hair; they don’t make me feel safe!”

For once his heart ached, he wanted desperately to say yes and let you have your way but his clones ensure you don’t leave. They keep you close to him as they are all facets of his mind, full of his love for you. It’s like watching you through a screen, he can always keep an eye on you. He never has to be apart from you for another second, but you looked on the verge of tears in his arms. “Please Ruvik… they’re scary…”

“Of course my dear, I’ll have them outside the door instead. They won’t come near you again… but you must not leave this room. Ever. Do you understand?”

He held you tightly against him, his sharp hips digging into your lower abdomen. Eyes boring into your soul, looking for an answer. “Yes Ruvik, I promise. I’ll stay here…” He hummed happily and brought you into a twirl, elegantly like a dancer you swung you about in the warm sunlight. You weren’t sure how much longer you could stay in this room if Ruvik kept disappearing. He had left you lonely and uncomfortable, growing frightened of the silent beasts that would stare into your very soul. Like the plants that littered the room, you were becoming increasingly dependent on Ruvik as if he was the sun which warmed you. His smile wiped you of anxiety and doubt; his hand cupping the small of your back send waves of heat throughout your body. You had stopped spinning and were watching Ruvik study you. Truthfully he was swimming through your thoughts; the one time you sneezed on your snake by accident, your favorite birthday party, moving into your apartment. The first time you were intimate. The deeper he delved the more he wished he could save to his own memory; your body mangled, eviscerated and high on euphoric pleasure. You desire to be hurt was intense; he was right, you were everything he could ever want as every piece of you was made for him.

“Ruvik… is everything okay?” You spoke with a lighthearted giggle, breaking his thoughts and cluing him into a swell of blood. Delving into your fantasies had given him an erection, which he had been pressing against you for the past couple minutes. Both your cheeks were red but Ruvik was noticeably worse. He was at a loss for words, he couldn’t just tell you that his current state was caused by you wanting to be choked by your own intestines. “Yes my dear, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable…”

“Ruvik no, never!” You giggled again, his flush was adorable. “I was just teasing…”

His smirk was even better than his blush and he pulled you further into himself. His breath dusted your cheeks as his face grew ever closer to your own. “My dear…”  
His eyes never stopped dancing over your face, taking in your entirety. “Yes Ruvik, my love…”

That was all he needed, his hands moved to cup your face and pull you into his lips. Many people describe kisses as earth-shattering or an explosion of color, this was the reveal of a burning desire and lust. Like a sheet pulled away, his lips revealed the intensity he couldn’t say. Your lips mashed together, Ruvik took his left hand and forced your jaw open and his tongue plunged into your mouth. He dominated yours, unwilling to let you even respond; this was about domination and your subservience but it was what you craved, Ruvik knew that very well.


	15. Chapter 15

Within the mirror, Sebastian felt safe but a lingering feeling of unease could creep back in if he paid too much attention to the situation; the strangely familiar nurse who greeted him slowly with boredom oozing from her tone. The embodiment of both stress and relief as she stared coldly back at Sebastian. There was no way this woman could be remotely real, there was no presence when she moved, flitting about as if she was a ghost; her steps made no noise. The quiet droning of music seemed to slowly approach as Sebastian made his way to the mirror, almost chasing him out back into the small bathroom that lay on the other side of the smeared door.

“HE S WATCHING WE CANT LEA VE”

Painted the wall opposite the doorway, how Sebastian didn’t notice it when he was thrown against the wall earlier he had no idea but the message was red and eerie none the less.

 

Ruvik had left you yet again, alone in the sunroom when you decided to peek out the door. A clone turned its empty hood to stare at you, its hands clasped behind its back. “(Y/N)!!”  
Head whipping away from the creature to Jo- JOSEPH?!?! He was alive, right in front of you; bloodied and beaten but you ran towards him. Escaping the grip of the clone and throwing yourself onto your friend. He shot at the encroaching clone and pulled you into a sprint down the twisting halls of the manor, the beast roaring behind you. Chest burning as you struggled to keep up with Joseph like there were claws of fire pulling you back to the sunroom. It felt like you were running in circles as the hall went on forever, the twists and turns making you dizzy; your feet seemingly flying over the opulent carpet floor, a feeling of guilt swelling in your stomach the further you got; the groans of the beast fading into the distance as the burning sensation increased tenfold. Tears welled in your eyes from the pain. The hall disappeared from underneath you and you plummeted into darkness once more.

 

You awoke with a choking gurgle of pain as you were shot forward and onto a cold tile floor. Lukewarm water rushing over your body as you coughed up fluid, body ejecting the teacakes and stomach acid to your feet. You were shaking in shock as Sebastian dropped to his knees and swaddled you in his arms. Joseph appeared in your vision as he too crouched into your vision, he was sopping wet too and he reached out to cup your cheek. “(Y/n) I’m so glad you’re safe… when Ruvik took you away…” Sebastian buried his head in the back of your neck. “I was so worried he hurt you…”

“I’m so glad the both of you are okay.” Joseph’s voice cracked like he had just woken up, he had a cute morning voice and you were ecstatic he was okay; throwing yourself on him and sobbing. The dam finally breaking as if a haze had been lifted from your mind. The farther you seemed to be from that sunroom the better you felt, your blind love for Ruvik seeming to fade as you sobbed into Joseph and wailed about how you were so worried about him and missed him so much. Like he had been overseas for years, you clung to him like a lonely spouse. Joseph held you tight and pressed hard kisses to the top of your head as Sebastian watched on. Happy you both were okay, you were so small and fragile but yet so strong. He could only imagine what Ruvik had done to you; He felt protective over you, his best friend Joseph was absolutely taken with you and Sebastian had to admit he held some form of love for you too. You are immensely important to Joseph, and in turn important to Sebastian.

You could feel a rage-filled gaze on your back as Joseph babbled on about how he was so worried about you. It had to be Ruvik he told you not to leave yet something in you screamed with joy once you did. You felt free like a leaf on the wind as you sat back to look at Joseph properly. He pulled you close, your lips inches apart when a shrill ringing tore your eardrums; both you and Joseph cringing in pain. Covering your ears as Joseph screamed in pain before calming down though your pain persisted. “Do you hear that ringing?” You could barely hear him over the pain but you nodded your head. “We need to get out of here…” Sebastian stood as he spoke, helping Joseph up and picking you off the floor into his arms again. Joseph moved to protest but collapsed before he could say anything and like a true parent, Sebastian juggled your weak form in one hand as he leaned back down to help Joseph. Giving him one of those odd syringes from earlier mumbling something about how it would help him. Sebastian injected you as well, though you were too weak to protest the strange contents seemed to work instantaneously as the ringing faded and the pain slowly subsided. Joseph coughed as he followed Sebastian and you to the exit of the room. “Let’s get out of here fast…” Sebastian’s voice echoed about the room now that the ringing had gone. Passing through the doors Joseph seemed to have recovered from his fit, approaching Sebastian and taking you into his arms.

“Joseph, are you sure?”

“Yes Sebastian, please… I need to hold (y/n)…”

Your arms circled around his neck and the three of you began moving through the grimy rooms. He held you like a princess from old fairytales though he had to quickly set you down and push you behind him as a group of monsters ran towards Sebastian. As the number of monsters became overwhelming you noticed a dark puddle on the floor; something deep in your mind spoke out “burn it…” The matches Sebastian gave you earlier! But they had been in the cardigan you had ditched… as if reading your mind Sebastian pulled out a match and set fire to the puddle, sending the monsters up in flames and ending their lives as they burnt away into ash. The light show was amazing and terrifying simultaneously; clearing the entire area. Joseph pulled you with him, gun held ready in his hand as you all moved deeper into the hospital. Eventually coming upon a heavily armed door. “This looks pretty sophisticated. Why would they put a bomb like this?” Joseph spoke, the red glow from the bombs LED lights dusting his face with color. Had Joseph always been this mesmerizing?

“Do you think we can get past it?”

“Stand back. Let me see if I can disarm it.” Joseph stepped forward, pushing you behind Sebastian for protection. His leather-clad fingers gently dancing across the bomb. Sebastian moved you a ways back around the previous corner, you felt trapped in your own body and unable to speak or protest. Before you could think again the bomb was disabled and you were moving again. “What is it with this sound?” Sebastian said as he covered his ears in pain and Joseph again doubled over. You couldn’t hear any ringing, only the sounds of the hospital and your friends hit your eardrum. You looked over at Sebastian, your guide when Joseph flung himself at him. Hands going to Sebastian’s neck and choking him, he has turned a sickening grey with red veins and pustules littering his face; the noises he made sounded inhuman. You rushed over to try and pry Joseph from Sebastian though he was insurmountably strong. The two managed to separate and you rushed to check Sebastian, unsure if your Joseph was the one in front of you.

Sebastian held you behind him as Joseph calmed down, looking upwards as a small trickle of blood fell from his right nostril. The veins and pustules, gone. Joseph heaved as he stared at the floor, glasses held in his left hand. Sebastian approached carefully, still keeping you behind him. “Joseph… after Connelly, I thought…”

“I… I don’t know what came over me…” Joseph sounded meek, his voice shaking. “I haven’t been feeling well, but…” He coughed again.

“Look, let’s just get out of here. There’s something wrong with this place. You nodded in agreement and approached Joseph. “I’m fine (y/n), don’t worry.” He put his hand on your back and ushered you after Sebastian.

You had been walking for a long time, coming into a large open room and in the center was a large tank; inside was the policewoman from earlier, fluid gushed into the tank. Joseph and you went up to the rain but a monster came behind took you both over the edge. You were dazed as Joseph and Sebastian fought around you. The monsters ignored you and went straight for the two men trying to break the woman from her watery grave. A sickle skid across the floor to you, its handle beckoning and your small hand fit so perfectly around it. You got up quicker than you thought and ran towards the tank, slamming the point of the sickle into the glass without luck. The monsters fell around you as Sebastian ran to find something. Dropping the sickle you climbed to the top of the tank using the barbed wire wrapping and tried to find anything you could, a hatch, a valve anything that could get her out or air. A faint beep and she was set free, gushing out the side with the fluid, Joseph rushed over to his fallen friend and you hopped down off the structure; NURSE MODE ACTIVATED. Wiping your bloody hands on your dress and falling to your knees in front of the woman you began checking vitals. “Are you alright?” Joseph spoke over your shoulder as you helped the woman sit up.

Licks of fire cut across the ground around you in a grid pattern before cracking and giving way. The three of you plummeting into the dark. 

“Joseph!? Kidman!? (Y/n)!?” Sebastian screamed after you. “Hang on I’m coming”

He jumped down the hole after you.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Tumblr didn't like this chapter... We gonna enjoy it over here instead.
> 
> CONTAINS SEXUAL AND GORE CONTENT

He landed alone, upright and gently compared to his previous tumbles. Bodies and a mass pool of blood lay at Sebastian’s feet; the pale fingers of a corpse just barely touching his shoe in a haunting plea. Were it begging for freedom or company was unclear but the image was as unsettling as the rest of the room. It seemingly had no exit as Sebastian carefully stepped around the strewn bodies and bones, until a small crack in the wall splintered and bore the light of a torch through its fresh maw. It leads to a cluttered and barely lit hallway; an ominous growling rumble echoed towards him as Sebastian drew his gun. Beasts threw themselves into his weapon throughout his journey down the twisting hall. “Joseph!!” Sebastian called into the darkness after coming to a small broken ledge and into a deep swath of blood, the metallic tang infiltrating his nose and back to his throat forcing a gag out of the stoic detective. “Kidman, you there? (Y/n)?” His voice echoed off the walls as he pushed onwards past the deep ocean and further leaping down into a hallways mouth which fed into a closed door; Joseph and Kidman had you pinned behind their backs as they shot at more monsters. “Sebastian!” You called out from behind their backs, unable to help as weapons had eluded you while you had been chased down this hall. Three guns filled the air as your companions slain the encroaching horde, few growing close enough to almost grab you from between your protector's gaps. They seemed to be after you solely, unafraid or unconcerned with the gunfire till their body could take no more and falling only for the next one to take its place.

“Are you guys alright?” Sebastian broke the silence after he beat the last beast to death, gun empty of bullets. “We’re alright…” Joseph trailed off as he turned to you, inspecting you for damage. His gaze was different from Ruvik’s, under Joseph you felt like a person instead of a treasure. The worry in his eyes was far more readable than your partner’s cold expression. Joseph placed a kiss on your forehead and moved to examine the large heavy door he previously sandwiched you into earlier. “Are you okay?” Kidman’s voice drifted over to you as she busied herself with an Iron Gate and Sebastian who clutched at his side. In the lull, you felt adrift, as if you didn’t belong here; like you were watching through a screen as they went about their own thoughts. You could just stand back silent and they would go about their own business. “It looks like the door’s locked from the other side,” Kidman spoke again to the detectives, but not to you though she walked right beside you. Her shirt was wet revealing her black bra for the world to see. Yeah, you couldn’t complain about boobies if you just barely escaped a watery grave but who wears black under white? Especially in Krimson city. Whatever. You couldn’t let stuff like that cast doubt or mistrust.

“Sebastian, maybe we can lift this enough for Kidman to go under and open it from the other side?”

Sebastian nodded at Joseph’s idea. “Alright, we’re counting on you.” Kidman nodded and the three of them turned to the door. You stepped in a free space by the door, ready to help and lift. “(Y/n), please we can do this. Don’t hurt yourself.” Sebastian’s tone was slightly exasperated. “I am a nurse, I pull and lift people all the time. I want to help. I- I want to be helpful…”

“Okay (y/n), come stand close to me then. It will be better if we lift together.”

You scooted closer to Sebastian and squat into a lifting position as Kidman readied herself. His face had softened after you had squat. Perhaps he had been underestimating you, as a trained officer he knew never to rely on those who you were helping but there wasn’t much he could do. After all, you were all stuck here together. One three you pulled upwards as hard as you could. There was no way you could have done it on your own, but the three of you lifted the door just enough for Kidman to squeeze under before dropping it back down. Sebastian and Joseph fell backward while you fell off to the side, where Kidman had just been. Joseph helped you stand. “We should get going.” Kidman had come through the Iron Gate, she smiled at you before turning and walking back through. Sebastian came up behind you and Joseph and put his hand on your shoulder. “Thanks (y/n), you helped us a lot.”

 

“I’m glad you’re all alright,” Sebastian spoke as you began treading down another long hallway. Joseph holding you to his side as you both followed behind Sebastian. “It’s odd though,” Joseph spoke into the air. Curiosity peaking in his tone. “Why would they catch you instead of just killing you?”

“Maybe he didn’t see me as a threat.” Kidman’s words made you shutter. Did she know about Ruvik? How could she know? Does he see your friends this way? The hallway pulsed, sending ringing into your ears; you dropping immediately to the floor while Sebastian stumbled forwards. Kidman still leading the way unfazed. She eventually turned to move back for the detective when we fell through the floor, the coating of blood seemingly swallowing her whole. Joseph jumped from you to try and help Kidman but he was soon swallowed. The abductor reached through the floor, its long gaunt arms with a sharp spindle like nails gripping onto Sebastian and tugging him into the abyss and leaving you alone in a pool of blood; the ringing finally gone.

You could hear a faint dragging from behind you. It sounded strange but was certainly coming closer to you. You turned slowly, fearing what could be over your shoulder. Pure darkness was at your back but the sound was still there, growing closer. You could see movement before anything else, the gate of something big. Lumbering out of the darkness was a huge man… with a safe on his head?? He roared at you, sounds echoing down the hall as it overrode your scream of terror. Jumping upwards and dashing further down the hall, blood splashing as you ran blindly in the darkness. You could just barely hear the beast over your heartbeat as it gave chase slowly. Pushing yourself to run faster, maybe you could hide somewhere. It was scraping something against the wall as it chased you. This was something out of a horror movie as you prayed you’d get away; but as with every horror movie and their mama, the pretty girl always gets within a hairs reach of salvation before she dies. You slammed into a door, disorientating you but adrenaline kicking in. Trying the lock didn’t work but you could hear the scraping getting louder. TIME TO PANIC. You threw yourself against the door, kicked at the handle all while the scrapping sped up. Just as the huge man came into view the door burst open and you fell into the sunroom, landing face first on the floor. The door slammed shut and you could hear the familiar voice of Ruvik, tutting you quietly as you lift your head. He sat poised on a garden chair, a cup of tea in hand with the rest of the spread laid on the table behind him, just like before.

“Did no one teach you to knock my dear?”

He took a sip of tea, the aroma of the room hitting your nose again. This time it was sickening and felt as thick as a wall. Like a cage it swallowed you. He stood and strode over to you, his bare feet filling your vision. “A shame really… a shame you brought this on yourself. Whore.” He poured the scalding tea on your head, a hiss of pain escaping you lips. “Running off with him…” He circled you and drove his left foot into your side, forcing you to roll onto your back with pain. Ruvik stomped on your arm. Tears welled in your eyes as you looked up at him. His face held nothing but anger as he brought his foot down on your neck, pushing down and cutting off your air; expression indifferent as he watched you struggle for air. “How dare you leave me like that (y/n).” You clawed at his foot trying to get some air; a crooked smile spreading on his face.

He removed his foot to which you gasped for air, only for him to kick you again in the side which sent you rolling. “I think you need to be reminded who you were made for (y/n).” You wheezed and tried to catch your breath; barbed wire sprouted from the floor and wrapped around your body. Discoloring the room as it snaked around your form, the tips of the spikes grazing along your skin. They dug into your flesh and you screamed out again; the wire made you into a puppet as it spun you into your back, forcing your arms and legs apart. “You look so beautiful like this my dear (y/n)…” Ruvik stood over you again, scalpel in hand and swirling between his fingers like a dancer. Now you weren’t going to lie this was hot as fuck but you had no idea if you could put that kind of trust in Ruvik. Would he do more than just hurt you? You had no choice but to find out as he dropped to his knees before you, running his hands over your flesh.

“Don’t squirm my dear…” He began tracing the scalpel up your thigh to the hem of your bloodied dress; pressing the blade down into the muscle of your right thigh. “It will only make this take longer…” You were heaving with pain and yet a fire burnt within you, screaming with lustful abandon. The fire beginning to dull your worry as your blood ran down your thigh. Ruvik licked the scalpel clean, eyes closing to savor the taste of you. “Delicious…” He trailed the blade up your body to the hem of your dress, flipping the blade over he pulled up the neckline with the blunt end which allowed the barbed wire to snake under your remaining clothing. Binding you in the most pleasurable way possible while extra strands pushed outward on your dress till it ripped down the middle. Revealing your skin to Ruvik, underwear just as ruined as your dress. Any attempt at modestly was fruitless as the wire held you in place, spread for him to consume.

He was salivating at the sight of you, splayed before him and so vulnerable. He lay an open-handed smack to your lower abdomen, the force pushing you further into the spikes. Scalpel returning to your skin he pushed it harder against your skin, leaving small cuts that trailed along your body. They stung as they marred your flesh, Ruvik following the lines with his tongue as he assaulted you. You could only cry out at every new cut, and arch forward into your captor. “I know so much about you (y/n)… I know what you crave.” He moved to stare directly into your eyes and placed a kiss to the tip of your nose before digging the scalpel directly into your stomach. You screamed into his face as he cut through your peritoneum to reveal your lower organs. Eyes rolling back from pain and pleasure, Ruvik drank in your reactions. Watching your face contort as his hands swam through your innards, tugging and pushing parts of you that should have never seen the light of day. Your tongue hung out of your mouth as your voice spilled in a best hits compilation that Ruvik could listen to for hours. You felt him squeeze your pancreas as he worked up to your small intestine, pulling the cord out of your body, like a magician with an endless handkerchief and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor. He took his bloodied right hand and jammed two fingers into your mouth, stopping only as you mouth could not open any wider to fit past his knuckles. “Such a wonderful sight, your body open before me…” he pushed his hips into yours, though his pants were coarse you could feel his straining erection barely held within.

“Do you feel how well we fit together(y/n)… you are made for me.”

You couldn’t answer with his hand in your mouth, nor protest as he pulled himself from his pants to line up with your vaginal opening. “Even your body cries for me; it knows you belong to me.” Ruvik pushed into you, his own groan echoing through the room. His hand leaving your mouth to grasp your neck and hold you down as he set a violent pace within you. Freehand pushing at the cuts he left, forcing them wider into deep fissures that swept your body. Your noises indistinguishable from pain or pleasure. Barbwire pushing you into an arch and Ruvik pounded in and out of you, sending jolts of pleasure into your muddied senses; his thrusts rocking you into each spike and forcing it deliciously deeper into your abused flesh. Leaving your cuts to burn Ruvik’s hand dove back into your gaping pelvis, his hand engulfing your vaginal canal and squeezing tightly, head dropping as he used you like a toy. Both your chests heaved from exertion, his breath hot on your ear. “You are mine to do with as I please. I own you… completely.” He spoke between huffs as his thrusts became erratic. “I will be the one to ruin you…” The enormous friction of his hand forcing your walls against his penis became unbearable, pleasure outweighed pain as you reached your peak. Throat raw as you screamed out, contracting around him. Ruvik could barely fuck you through your high; at his limit he pulled out and came into your open cavity, the same hand used to pull the last of his seed from himself. “Do not disobey me again.” The hand around your throat lifting your head before slamming it back into the floor; you blacked out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Less gore but still sexual content; Tumblr didn't like this one either.

When you woke, the world was nothing but pain. Your head swam as you rolled to your side, hair crunching as your movement forced the dried blood on the back of your head to separate. You wanted to vomit; right hand traveling down to your stomach in order to try and soothe your belly. One glaring issue met your fingertips as you explored down. There was no hole… nothing felt out of place… you sat up as fast as you could, head crying for relief but as your vision came back to you and revealed your cold naked form you realized your torso and flesh were unharmed. Perfectly normal, like nothing had ever happened.

The room around you was dim, dirty, and most definitely not the sunroom you passed out in. A bathtub sat in the center of the room with an overhead LED lamp forcing it to glow. You finally clued into how freezing cold you were. Stranded without clothes you crawled slowly over to the tub, hoping you could find something inside as you hoisted yourself up to peer over its tall rim.  
Inside was a pool of steaming water, its heat beckoning to you as you slithered over the rim and into the abyss. Sinking into the water as it washed away both your pain and the grime that littered your form. Turning the water a sheer grey, though you could care less as the heat ebbed away at you. Moaning into the air as you stretched one leg up and out of the tub and flexed your toes open and rolling your ankle gently.

Was this bliss? A hot sanctum in the never-ending hellish gauntlet? Perhaps what happened earlier had all been a dream, maybe you passed out before the monster had gotten to you and had dragged you off somewhere?

An unseen door opened and you withdrew your leg back into the tub, reflexively covering yourself from the intruder. It was Ruvik who stepped into view, and in his hands a towel; its fluffy appearance warning you of your eventual departure from the tub. Ruvik drew a wooden table from the floor, the slab seemingly phasing through the floor; he set the towel down and turned to you, his face smug. “How do you feel now princess?” His voice reverberating through the room as he set his hands on the rim of the tub. “Surely you have learned your place now? Or must I teach you again?” He leaned closer to your face, his nose barely touching yours as one hand came up to rest around your throat. Squeezing gently as if to tease you. Your lips hung open, unable to respond, suddenly feeling weak under his touch.

In honest Ruvik had his metaphorical thumb right on the pleasure center of your brain. He would train you to obey him, force you to associate him with happiness and pleasure; a little positive reinforcement as it were. As much as he enjoyed hurting you and brutally mutilating your flesh, he wanted to soothe you; wipe your wounds and bring you higher than anyone else. Your naked form under him so vulnerable, and small. With skin so smooth and soft; a contrast to his hard skin which crusted if neglected. In contrast with your skin it was beautiful but Ruvik despised his own flesh, and it bent and crumpled with his movement. So much had been taken away from him, including his ability to truly feel from his burnt flesh. His hand slid lower, breaking the surface and forcing ripples to roll away from you. Resting on your stomach, though his touch was softer underwater, it didn’t really matter as you had been on fire the moment he touched you. His thumb rubbed gently over your stomach, skin slowly taking in the water around it.

“R- Ruvik I…”

Words caught in your throat. Something about him called you, it was suffocating and a stark contrast with the time you spent out of his grasp. Logically you knew something was wrong, as sweet as he was there was darkness just under his skin, but god you couldn’t think straight around him. It just felt wrong, like you had forgotten something you couldn’t remember and the longer he touched you the harder it became to think through a haze of sensation. Some small whisper still egged you to run, scream, escape; just get away from Ruvik and throw yourself into josephs arms or hell just anywhere safe. Ruvik could feel that small doubt and pushed harder into your pleasure center in an effort to distract you, his hand sliding lower from your stomach towards your pelvis. Your own legs falling open against the sides of the tub in a silent plea for his touch. towards your pelvis. Your own legs falling open against the sides of the tub in a silent plea for his touch. Your mind was a blur, unable to think as Ruvik hovered over you. The last bits of worry fading from your mind as his fingers reached your labia, tracing along it gently.

Your hips just forward into his touch, head falling back against the rim. His fingers the only thing you could focus on as they nimbly moved about your core. Just dancing around your folds was driving you crazy; Ruvik leaning down to lay kisses along your jaw bone. The water sloshed with his movements, his head pushing against your neck. “You see how wonderful I’ll let you feel when you behave?” His teeth scraping against your neck as he nipped at your skin. Your hands came up to grasp his shoulders, fingers soaking into his robe. Crooning into the air, you writhed in the warm water with sensation heightened it felt like you were both floating on air and experiencing the build up to the best orgasm ever. The coil just kept tightening without any peak in sight. It began to feel painful, the constant build pushing your body to the edge but not letting go; you tugged on Ruviks robe, head rolling over to peer at him in a plea. He smiled at you and licked his lips as you were truly a sight to behold but he wanted to hear you beg.

His hand stopped, resting just above your clitoris. Hips jutting blindly trying to bring back the sensation, the lack of more painful than its build. You could feel the rumble from his chest as he chuckled, moving to breathe in your ear. “Well (y/n), do you want more?” His voice thick and heated as it invaded your ear canal. You whined in response, needy and impatient while your hands pulled childishly on his robe. Pouting at him in your stupor, lower lip caught between your teeth. “Beg for me (y/n). I want to hear you beg for my touch… tell me who you belong to.” His finger ghosted over your clitoris, fingernail just kissing the nerve bundle. Your knuckles contracted and turned white, the grip on his robe incredibly strong. Toes curling and muscles straining.

“R- Ruvik…”

“Yes sunflower, what about me?”

He palmed your vulva, scarred skin tickling your haywire nerves delightfully. Your head fell forwards against your chest, heaving with breath as you tried to still your thoughts. He had never called you sunflower before but something in it made you feel so warm, it embraced you.

“I- I’m yours… only yours…”

He kissed your forehead, you could feel his lips curled into a smirk. His palm dragged upwards towards your pubic bone, his pointer, and middle finger plunging into your vaginal canal and moving about roughly. You wailed in ecstasy hips gyrating back into him. The water sloshed about; Ruviks hand moving in and out of you, he was sure to grind his palm into your folds.  
“That’s right sunflower, you are mine. Mine alone… everything you feel is because I gave it to you. I am the only one who will ever make you feel this way.” He added a third finger and you felt like the center of a star, aflame in pleasure and destined to explode. “Ruvik, please… I- I can’t…” You trailed off, unable to speak as your mouth hung open in a long wet moan.

“Let go sunflower, let go for me. Show me the apex of how I make you feel.”

Your moan pitched up into a silent scream as you came, muscles contracting around Ruviks hand. Your vision dark as your eyes slammed shut and your face contorted abhorrently with untamed ecstasy. “You look so beautiful like this (y/n), my sunflower…” Ruvik was kind enough to let you come down from your high before withdrawing his hand, leaving you feeling empty and sore. There was a pop and the water began to drain, its lukewarm hold draining with your orgasm down the pipes. The chill of the room came back and crept into your bones was the last drops disappeared. Ruvik helped you sit up, reaching back to grab the towel from before and swaddled you in the fabric; gently rubbing you dry. He pulled you up from the tub to your feet, the cold floor making you long for the bath once more. He led you away from the tub, the world warping around you, leaving you and Ruvik in the familiar library which leads to the sunroom. It shone through its glass door but it filled the room with a warm glow, the sun heating the air. He left you silently in the room, walking off into the manor. You peered around the room, it was old and cluttered and appeared well lived in, but it was smothered in dust, your feet were now covered. The dust clinging to your wet feet. You moved over to a desk, scattered with open books and papers and voids in the dust from activity. Resting gently on an open book was an old photo, worn with time but you knew it was well loved. A boy and a long elegant girl stared back at you as you lifted it up to your face. The boy seemed familiar, his cold stare was one you had seen before, but this girl… she was something you couldn’t describe. She held this mysterious aura that was both haunting and enthralling. She looked like the girl who everyone loved and was so quiet and sweet. She looked like she could have been your best friend if you had met years ago. Her long black hair and blood red dress stood stark against the photos faded appearance.

Setting the photo back down carefully, it must be precious to Ruvik and you hoped he wouldn’t be mad with you touching it. He returned with fabric draped over his arm gently. “This belonged to my sister, Laura. My dear Laura, and now I entrust it to you my dear (y/n). You will fit it well.” He held the red dress from the photo out to you, it glistened in the sunlight. You took it as if it was a piece of glass, afraid to drop it or shatter such a beautiful picture. Ruvik stepped closer and pushed the towel from your shoulders to the floor, revealing your naked form. He took the dress from you as you stared dumbly at him, watching him move about as he unbuttoned the back of the dress, opening the hole for you to slide over your head. Letting the fabric drape over your body and the dress fit perfectly like it was tailored to your exact shape.  
Ruvik smoothed the fabric over your body, trailing around behind you to button up the cloth, binding you to the fabric. His hands snaked around your waist, pulling you to him. He sighed contently as he held you flush to his chest. “You are my sunflower… my beautiful sunflower.”  
You stood there, silent in his arms a silent unsettling feeling welling in your stomach.


	18. Chapter 18

After your bath the world felt warm again, you felt alive and clean again. The dress Ruvik gave you was so strange, it fits so wonderfully despite appearing so small, it was so soft and you felt as if a warm hug had enveloped you within it. Ruvik, however, had been less than the red dress draped around you. Sure he made sure to keep you warm and always with a cup of tea, he often left you curled under a blanket on his messy couch with a book and cup. It was growing boring and while you did your best to stay put, you feared running from him again but there was a weight on you like a chain binding you to the room. You felt unable to leave as if the world outside didn’t exist. He would make sure to come and sit with you, quietly enjoying tea. He held you in his arms and stroked your hair, dodging your questions about the others and how they were.

“Do not concern yourself with them sunflower. They are simply obstacles in my way and nothing more. Unimportant really…”

You’d read through a few semi-interesting books from around the library and mind-numbing boredom had begun to close in on you. Ruvik had once again left you lone in the study, the manors silence echoing off the walls. “Dark… dark… dark…” You could hear faintly what sounded like Leslie drift through the halls. You set both your book and tea down, shedding the warm blanket and creeping off the couch. Your bare feet making tiny little pap noises as you tread to the large mahogany door leading deeper into the manor. Its hinges screamed as you pried the wood open and stuck your head out into the hall. “Leslie?” You called into the dark, opening the door more in an effort to pull the few shreds of sunlight from the greenhouse into the hall. Again you could hear his whines and garbled speech drift down the hall, beckoning you further into the dark; its chill replacing the warm embrace of sunlight. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you ventured down the hall, calling out gently for Leslie.

The hall seemed to go on forever but eventually, you walked right into a wall, smacking your head into the wallpaper. “FUCK!” You cursed loudly, grasping your aching nose. “Bad word, bad words…” You had somehow stumbled into the large foyer, walking conveniently into the wall between heavy doors. Leslie was standing in the small sunlight creeping in through the dusty windows above the humungous front door. How he had gone unseen along with the light, you’d never know but you were just glad to have found him. “Leslie sweetie! Oh, thank goodness, it’s me hunnie, it’s (y/n). Are you okay Leslie?” Moving over to him carefully as to not spook him more, you lifted your hands up towards him. Soon as you came into the light Leslie bolted towards you and buried himself in your arms. He almost took you to the floor with how fast he was going but you didn’t mind, you’d been so worried about him and now he was in front of you, worries sated you felt alive again. Tears fell from your eyes, from stress or happiness you didn’t know but you felt so relieved to be reunited with Leslie. “Don’t cry…” Leslie looked at you with concern as his right covered hand came up to rub your cheek, the scratchy fabric hurt but it was the thought that was important. He continued to make noises while you fussed over him, making sure there were no injuries.

“Come… come… come…” Leslie did his best to pull you out the door of the manor. You looked back into the manor, the dark halls reminding you of the punishment you received from running away previously; but you needed to be with Leslie, unwilling to be away from him for any longer. You followed him out into the sunlight, blinding yourself. Holding your hand up to the sun in an effort to shield yourself. It warmed your skin and a small warm breeze blew through the grass, giving off a low rustling noise. The grass was soft under your toes, they even wiggled slightly and you noted to take careful steps. You were in a church courtyard, the steps cracked and missing. The yard was enclosed by dark cobblestone and a heavy iron gate with coarse bent bars. Behind was an open field, the dirt trampled from years of constant church attendance, you moved over to the gate as Leslie enjoyed the sunshine, his head tilted up with a warm lazy smile. You peered through the bars, into some stone structures on the other side of the field. Like something was just out of sight. They looked like crypts.

You could see the shadow cast from the steeple, it was an odd symbol that reminded you of the cross, though its sharp points set a tone. You’d never seen anything like it before and it felt so obscure like a cult, hiding away in the mountains. Leslie let out a loud wail, whipping around to see officer Kidman dragging Leslie into the church without you. “Hey!” You shouted after her but she ignored you, slamming the door behind the pair. You slammed on the large wood slab, hearing the echo within the large space inside. “Leslie! Officer, it’s me! (Y/n), Leslie’s nurse!” Trying the handle only to find it locked. You could hear gunshots out in the distance but a new sound drifted into your ears… “Father was a stern man.” Ruvik! You spun looking for him but he was nowhere in sight, regardless his voice continued. Proud, I thought intelligent. But he was also pious. A believer. Somehow he always supported the church, no matter what the newspaper said. He waved away the allegations as if they were infallible…” Like the breeze his voice drifted away; you glanced up the door to see the church emblem staring down at you, emblazoned in the door. A shiver ran down your spine as your hand dropped from the door handle. Turning from the door and sinking to the dirt, hands wrapping around your knees as you buried your face into your arms. You were just so tired; tears fell from your eyes. So close to Leslie and you lost him again, now you were alone and Ruvik would surely be mad at you for running again.

More gunshots rang out but you couldn’t be bothered to lift your head though they drew closer and a bellowing roar. “Joseph!” You lifted your head. In the field were Joseph, Sebastian and a large bulbous monster which looked like at one point it could have been a dog. It had tackled Joseph to the ground; Sebastian firing into its side. The monster flung itself at him, chasing him around the area as it bellowed. You ran to the gate, screaming their names though they could spare no time to look at you. Their only escape was towards you, but there was no way they could fit through the gate. You would have to pry it open, without thinking you began to pull on the bars, hoping they were weak enough to bend. They creaked and wailed as you yanked, even lifting up your leg and pushing against another bar for leverage. You fell back against the earth, grip failing you. The grass pushed into your skin but the wind that blew over your fallen form parted the grass, its path revealing to you an ax, tucked away so neatly in the shade of the church. Whatever possessed you to spring up and dash to the tool was unknown but it didn’t matter. You slammed the ax down on the bars; a loud clang reverberating through the air. The Sebastian finally alerted to your presence. “(Y/N)!” He called to you as he threw a grenade, putting the beast down. You broke through three connecting bars, tossing the ax and pulling the bars down, making room to squeeze through. “Sebastian!” you called to him as he helped Joseph to his feet. “Over here!” You scooped your hand through the air to signal them they could come through. Hobbling Sebastian passed you Joseph and slid through the cut bars after him; you held Joseph against you and he caught his breath. “Thank you, (y/n). I don’t know what we would have done without you…” Sebastian gave you a small smile as he turned back to the field. Over his shoulder, you could see the monster get back up. Growls rolling from its dripping maw. “I dropped my glasses back there…” Joseph heaved from your shoulder as he stood up and moved to the gate. “Fuck…” Sebastian stared out into the grass and bushes.

You gulped audibly as Sebastian slipped through the hole. Joseph picked up some rocks and nearby debris to through the fence, claiming he’d draw it away. Though the beast was more interested in its returning snack; it barreled towards him, swiping Sebastian who barely rolled out of the way. You came up behind Joseph as he tried his best to distract the beast. You hoped Sebastian had found the glasses and he tumbled around the monster before darting back to the gate, the beast close on his heels. Sebastian let out an angry scream as he neared salvation. Throwing himself through the bars and just barely escaping as the monster charged into the gate, its jaw open and gripping onto the bars. Saliva spraying and coating the bars. The gate shaking and it tried to force itself through, you all sat in terror for what felt like an eternity before it gave up and slunk into the bushes. Joseph took his glasses back from Sebastian. “I’m sorry. It’s not just about being unable to see…” He looked so solemn, no clue what had happened to him since the hallway. He put the glasses back on his face, blinking a few times. “It’s about… feeling normal…” You moved to stand beside the pair. “It’s alright let’s focus on finding Kidman.” Sebastian turned from you and approached the church. “She’s in the church!” You blurted out. “She took Leslie from me and ran in there! I tried to get in but the door is locked!”

Sebastian paused, staring up at the doors. “Then we will find a way in…” Continuing over to the building. Though you and Joseph lingered a moment, he pulled you into his arms, squeezing you tightly and laying kisses on your face. “Thank you (y/n), you saved us. I was so worried about you, I’m so glad you’re okay.” He stopped to admire your clothing. “You changed? Where’d you find this?”

“Oh, uh… my clothes got a little too torn up and I luckily found this…”

“It looks nice on you… not that it matters right now but, you look pretty.” Joseph pulled you along, following Sebastian up the stairs and finally catching up with him at the top. “Jeez, Joseph, all that for a pair of gasses…” Sebastian huffed mainly to himself. Approaching the door and pushing it open, like nothing, like it was never locked. Blushing with embarrassment, had it been open this whole time? Though space was large and opulent, its furniture was scarce; a few pews and a long red carpet that lead to a statue of a hooded woman. The sun streaming in through the glass and hitting her face with an explosion of color. You could hear muffled voices, unable to tell them apart you called out. “Leslie? Leslie sweetie are you there? It’s (y/n)! You need to come out sweetie, we just want to protect you!”

“You have to stay with me, there’s no other way…”

The voices were clearer now, seeming to come from a grate below the statue. You ran over and dropped in front of it, trying to see anything in the darkness below. “Leslie!?” Screaming down the grate, repeating his name like a mantra as you gripped the bars. Josephs coughing broke your spell, Sebastian approached him, asking if he was okay, though Joseph looked on the verge of collapse. Torn between to needs you left the grate and began trying to feverishly look over Joseph. Your emotions were strung and you were panicking. Unsure of where to go and what to do. You held Josephs face in your hands, it was cold and clammy. “Sebastian…” His voice wasn’t as strained but he spun in his seat, eyes closed as his head rested in your palms. “You ever had the urge to just jump… when you’re on a high place…” He coughed again, his words worrying you. “Or the subway rolls by… Imagine if you had that urge or a minute straight.” He sucked in a breath, eyebrows scrunching together. “Then two minutes…”

“You fought it off three times now, Joseph. You’re learning to stop it.” Sebastian was cool, collected but you were far from it. “What?! Sebastian what’s wrong with him!?” You let go and turned to him, eyes darting about his face, looking for answers. But Joseph shoved you forwards into Sebastian which pushed you both away. “You’re not listening.” He slumped over in the pew and looking back up at the two of you. “I’m not worried about stopping it, Seb… I’m worried about not wanting to stop it.” He sat up straighter, removing his glasses. “Some part of me wants to turn.”

“Joseph…” You tried to butt in. “Joseph please…”

He carried on, ignoring you completely. “I don’t know why and I can’t reason it away… it’s deeper than that. It’s like instinct…” Sebastian began pulling you behind him, silently and coolly staring Joseph down. “And it’s getting stronger.” Another loud ring sounded throughout the church, all three of you keeling in pain. Joseph making loud grunt of agony. “Hold on.” Sebastian’s voice was buried under the noise but he approached Joseph with one of those syringes from earlier, plunging it into his arm and injecting the mystery concoction into his partner. Joseph fell out of the pew and onto the floor, you ran to his side, dropping to the ground and trying to check on him through the blinding noise. The pew in front of you began lifting from the floor, and looking up the best you could, Sebastian was too. On the chandelier was Ruvik, arm outstretched. You and Joseph anchored firmly to the floor, watching in awe and the room lifted and disassembled around you. You looked over at Ruvik, he turned and blew you a kiss before flitting away. Sebastian slamming through the floor and somehow you were pulled alongside him. Falling through corridors until you both slammed against a wall, your tiny frame letting out a small squeak of pain as you came to a stop.

It took you a moment before you could feel again. Sebastian helping you off the floor, despite your painful protests. He withdrew another syringe, going for your arm; you pulled away quickly, sending yourself into a spin. “Please (y/n), this helps… let me help you.” He took your arm again, you were hesitant but didn’t protest. The pain overwhelming your senses, you didn’t even feel the needle slip in but the fluid rushing your muscles was nauseating. Sebastian stuck you right above your elbow, probably the only injection site he knew from dealing with drug users for so many years. The empty syringe discarded on the floor, you rubbed your arm. Starting to feel better as Sebastian, still holding your hand began walking back the way you came The surrounding candlelight giving the stone walls a strange dancing glow. Leading you through a room full of candles and a corpse, dried and sat on top of what looked like an altar. Sebastian’s head kept darting all around the room. More monsters hid around corners of what became a crypt, the smell of death in the air. As you looked around silence deafening Sebastian pried a small chunk of the wall off. Which lead to the wall lifting. Like a magic portal or some Scooby Doo bullshit. A winds blew through the maze, haunting the corridors like a ghost. You grabbed onto Sebastian’s arm and pulled yourself close. Your feet were cold down here.

Within the hidden space was what looked like a room, full of bookshelves and a lonely bed cast against the wall among some tables. A box sat atop the closest table, its Dials oddly familiar but you couldn’t place them in your mind. Sebastian pulled you along to the opposite end of the room, where you entered a dark stairway. At the bottom was a gate with pale blue light casting a shadow, the bars looked like arms reaching up the stairs to grab you. After reaching the bottom of the stairs you could see a large lumbering figure, it shut itself behind a door but you immediately recognized the thing. It had chased you through the dark hall and brought you to Ruvik; you could barely see it in the dark but upon crashing into the sunroom you were given a brief glance at it. Hesitating to move forward, but you followed Sebastian into the room. Doors seemed to lay all around you though they had no handles no way to open. You felt slightly safe, hoping the monster couldn’t come back either. You sat in the center of the room on one of the stairs while Sebastian began scoping around, disappearing behind a wooden door where you could faintly hear music pour from under the door; you rubbed your feet, trying to bring warmth back to them. Distracted with your own appendages you didn’t notice Sebastian come back until the surrounding doors lifted revealing multiple halls, opening the room to danger. You stared dumbly at Sebastian as if asking him what to do. “It’s safer to keep together, come on…” He held his hand out to you and pulled you off the floor, pulling you down the left hallway. You traveled through poison gas, and past cells full of spitting monsters. Nothing Sebastian couldn’t handle though eventually, you came to a ladder. Where its lead didn’t matter as what took your attention was the pressurized hatch that was attached to the ladder, like a manhole but instead this one could be airtight. Sebastian started down the ladder, “I’ll be at the bottom to catch you just in case okay?”

“Thank you Seb-AHHHH!”

Sebastian looked up to see you pulled from the ladder by a large man with a safe on his head? His hand enveloped your waist, you were that small compared to him but before Sebastian could even scramble back up the ladder the hatch was thrown over the opening and the whirring of locks could be heard. “FUCKING DAMN IT!” Sebastian screeched and kicked at the ladder. Gas poured into the space around him, assuming it was the hazardous gas from earlier. He had to find a way out of there.

Meanwhile, the monster had you slung over his shoulder and was trudging back through the halls. Back to the doorway and plopping you down on the stair you previously sat on. The door in front of you was open, it patted your head and went back through the door. He looked at you as he shut the door again, the huge metal slab slamming shut and leaving you in silence. Staring, frozen in fear at the door, hoping it wouldn’t come back


	19. Chapter 19

“You should be more careful sunflower…”

Ruviks voice rang through the silence, forcing you to jump in your seat. Spinning around to face him. Standing, no, towering above you with his indifferent gaze; his eyes seemed to glow in the light that danced like fire. “Ruvik… I- I’m sorry…” You trailed off but Ruvik wasn’t going to let you finish anyway. “You are not in trouble this time sunflower. Since you so vehemently insist upon interfering with my work, I have no choice but to let you go about.” He crossed his arms behind his back, his stare turning quizzical. “A beautiful variable, but a troublesome one none the less.” He crouched down and cupped your cheek with his scarred hand; it was rough and cold. “You are so precious to me sunflower… more then you could ever know…” His voice took a stern tone. “But make no mistake. If you become a problem or put yourself into too much trouble I will remove you completely from this equation.”

His stare was intense, encapsulating as it pulled you closer to him; into his wed though would you be eaten? You had no idea. His thumb rubbed across your bottom lip, tugging the flesh around and pulling your jaw open to rest on your tongue. You couldn’t describe the taste but something about it felt so right, pushing you forward again to consume more of his digit. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smirk and he released a guttural noise as you closed your mouth around him. Why you seemed to be so compliant was beyond you but like a pet, you seemed to feed off the reactions of their master. Ruvik had wormed his preverbal fingers into your brain and was refusing to let go, caressing your lobes so wonderfully to push you into his hands. Like putty you melded to him as he wanted, the further you were the harder it was to hold you so tightly, but Ruvik being the inquisitive man decided to let you run around for a while. Like plants surely you craved fresh air, to feel the sun on your petals. With somewhat of a tight leash he would let you be, perhaps distance could make your heart grow fonder; to grow and desire him, his company, his touch.

“Such a precious treasure you are…”

Ruvik pushed his thumb between your lips. Truly the sight was obscene with your compliant, glazed eyes and how your body pushed into him, forcing him farther into your wet mouth. He so badly wished to put your mouth to other things, but now was not that time, for now, he would savor such a sight until he could fully pull you away. “Such a sight you make sunflower… delicious.” He really could watch you like this forever, he intended to keep you forever. To his surprise, you began to suckle gently on his skin, careful not to graze or damage it. He let out a light chuckle in response, forcing his thumb in deeper and gripping your jaw and prying it open. “Such a naughty thing too…” He pulled you by the jaw father up the stairs you both had been perched on, his thumb pressing down into your tongue. You were so close he could almost kiss you; your body strained to stretch behind and upwards. His thumb dug into your tongue and drug its way out of your mouth, Ruvik then attacked you with his lips. It was suffocating and the amount of pressure hurt, but it was nice. It made your spine shiver and desire pool in your pelvis once more. He held you in place, unrelenting to share dominance.

 

Though he separated, his contact controlled and fleeting. Your body chased after him as he let you go and stood once again to his full height. Your body followed, trying to seek more of his touch, desperate to continue. “You’ll have to behave if you want more dear sunflower… behave.” Ruvik cocked his head to the side, having you right where he wanted you. With that he vanished again, glitching into the void and leaving you in silence. The room seemed to swallow you in its emptiness for what felt like years; crouched still on the stairs unsure if you could move. As if somehow the noise you’d make shifting would disturb the stuffy silence which held you in place. Part of the stone wall in front of you moved, making a grinding sound as it slid upwards, revealing Sebastian after the small cloud of dust and dirt settled back onto the floor.  
“(Y/N!)” Shouting as he ran over to you, dropping to his knees and sweeping you up into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re safe… I was so worried about you! Did it hurt you?!” Sebastian began inspecting you, checking carefully and gently. His hands sent warmth all over your body, still coming down from the euphoria Ruvik infected you with. Closing your eyes as the warmth was so gentle and entrancing; you leaned on Sebastian, resting your head on his shoulder, moving with his breath. “Ruvik was here…” Mumbling into his best and straps. Sebastian’s grip tightened around you, pulling you closer. His warm body in contrast with the freezing stone. “I won’t let him hurt you (y/n). I promise.”

You leaned back to peer in Sebastian’s eyes. “Sebastian, Ruvik… Ruvik loves me…” His face was blank in response, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t been clear on your relationship but you obviously knew him. Your eyes felt sore, agitated as you began to weep your hands coming up to hold onto Sebastian’s vest. “H- He doesn’t care about you… He doesn’t care about Joseph, Leslie or Jimenez… I don’t know what he’s doing but he doesn’t care if he hurts you…” Sebastian was silent, in awe of your omission, sure Ruvik had never shown him anything other than murderous intent but the reality hit him hard. A wave of “this is really happening” ran over him, you perhaps were the only one safe from his wrath, he was almost envious of your blatant heaven while ignorant of the hell Ruvik had given you. “I don’t want you to get hurt Sebastian but I don’t know what to do… Ruvik, he makes me feel so strange; like a warm dream but when he’s gone I just want to run away. I’m scared, Sebastian! I don’t know what to do!” Your eyes shut tight as you sobbed, emotion leaking into your body and forcing shakes out with every sob. The climax of your breaking finally happening; Sebastian pulled you back against him, shushing you quietly while wiping your tears, his free hand rubbing your back gently. It was ugly cry time but you felt better with Sebastian there, his actions telling you he was more than willing to help you. “It’ll be okay (y/n)… we’ll figure this out. We will get out of here.” He lay a kiss to the top of your head and waited for you to calm down and let it all out. Surely you needed it now more than ever.

 

Time in here didn’t feel like anything, it could feel stagnant or rush by faster than you could register, crying was one of the latter times. In reality, it was only a few minutes in which you spent sobbing but Sebastian sat with you and kept rubbing your back. Wiping your tears again after you finished. “Thank you…” your voice was small and quiet, sore after crying. He patted your head and lifted you up with him, thinking about how light you were. “Let’s keep going… nothing good can come by staying here.” He pulled out a stone slab from only god knows where, as it couldn’t have fit in his pocket but he placed it into another gap on the same stone slab as the previous piece. As if it was the missing key, the slab lifted up once more to reveal the staircase which the large safe monster had disappeared down. Its darkness radiating and ominous.

You gulped as Sebastian took you both into the darkness, though a heavy latched door into a long hallway covered in what looked like mines and spikes on the ceiling. The monster rang out from the other end of the hallway, beating its large hammer against its head; the loud clang reverberating down the hallway. The ceiling began to drop in segments, the spikes dropping to the floor as they quickly came for the two of you but thankfully you hadn’t gone that far down the hallway and Sebastian was able to step you both out of an untimely painful demise. The sound still rang in your ears as the plates lifted and retreated back into the ceiling. With no choice but to move on you were carried down the hall. Getting the chance to notice the Iron Maiden caskets that fit so snugly into small outcroppings in the wall. You could see limbs and decaying flesh peeking through the cracks in the doors. Reaching the middle of the hall sent gears whirring and the door behind you slammed shut, plates once again crushing the floor behind you. Sebastian still held onto you as he began running through the minefield, hoping to escape. The only way out beginning to slide shut slowly, teasingly as if to mock you both.

 

The last door slamming shut as you barely made it under the door. Sebastian set you down and panted, running while carrying you couldn’t be easy but you hugged him tightly in thanks, letting him catch his breath while watching for anything harmful. There were more safes scattered around the floor but you couldn’t see much as the hall took a sudden left turn and you couldn’t see through walls. Eventually, Sebastian stood upright and took your hand, leading you around the corner.

“Leslie!!” You basically shouted. He was trapped in a cell, bound by chains and a heavy lock. You couldn’t break this one though you smushed your face into the bars in an attempt to phase through and be closer to Leslie. In a calmer voice, you spoke. “Leslie, Leslie sweetie it’s okay I’m back. I’m here Sweetie!” He clung to you through the bars as best he could, sobbing and shaking. “Leslie, you’re safe. Where’s –?” Leslie cut Sebastian off, mumbling the first half of the missing officer’s name. “Is she here? Is she alright?” Again Leslie cut Sebastian off by repeatedly mumbling the last half of his question. Sebastian put his hand on your shoulder to pull you away from the bars. “Stand back, I’ll get it open.” He then proceeded to slam his foot down on the chain, snapping it in two, leaving the doors to swing open and you to rush into Leslie who threw himself on you.

“Get it open… Get it open… “Leslie spoke into your shoulder as he picked at his hands frantically from stress. Sebastian moved over to an adjacent door and began to crank it open while you tried to calm Leslie. Though as the door finally raised another piercing ring burst into the air, invading your minds. Leslie screaming and running blindly into the stairwell, you managed to chase after him but only made it past the doorway as Sebastian screamed to wait. You were torn between them as Leslie disappeared into the darkness, triggering something that forced the door behind you to drop. The bars spreading you from Sebastian before a Solid door dropped down though it didn’t close all the way. A decent crack under the door allowing the light to slip in. You dropped to the ground calling out to Sebastian but his attention was elsewhere; the monster from earlier materializing from a safe scattered in the floor. It’s roar loud and full of rage. 

“Sebastian?!” Calling out to him, no goal really in mind but more because of concern for your friend. You could only see the monster’s feet as it slowly lumbered towards where you knew Sebastian had been standing. Faster receding footsteps and gunshots could be heard alongside the beast, eventually leaving you alone as you kept calling out, like a lost puppy.

“SEBASTIAN??! SEBASTIAN!?”


	20. Chapter 20

You called out for Sebastian for what felt like forever. Screams turning into sobs as your throat was ragged and sore; you cried into your arm as you lay on the few stairs illuminated from the small crack of light that sept in from under the heavy metal door. Eventually, your body couldn’t produce any more tears, your body convulsing with your quiet sobs that bubbled out from your throat. Finally exhausted your mind calmed enough to wander. You felt so out of touch with yourself the longer you’d been in here; the personality you once had seemed so far away and like you’d become a blank slate. Boring and quiet, passively letting those around you take on the dangers around you. You felt weak, out of your element; Outside of STEM you’d been so happy and outspoken but the longer you were here and the longer you spent with Ruvik you began to crumble. 

Ashamed of how you’ve been acting though you couldn’t think of what to do to fix anything. You used to be on top of your life. Sure you’d gotten more sexual interaction then you’ve had in the past year but you had a great job, where people respected you and you knew what you were doing. People came to you for help and you knew always what to do. A small spark of determination lit within you, it was weak and hardly there but you wanted to be more. To help Sebastian and save Leslie. You wanted to step up; you wanted you back and if you had to cut Ruvik out then you would. He would be mad, furious but the thought to cut him away seemed so right. Like cutting off the dead limbs of a tree-

“(y/n), there you are…”

Thoughts interrupted, you spun around to see Sebastian; the long dark stairway that was once there replaced with just a few steps into a sewer of some sort, lit by the sun that seeped through the barred windows above. Sebastian moved forwards in an effort to pick you up but you stopped him by setting a hand on his chest gently. “I- I want to walk Sebastian. I don’t want to be a burden anymore.” He chuckled in response and ruffled your hair, moving to offer a hand to help you up. “Then at least let me help.” You nodded, Sebastian noting how your eyes shone, by either the sun or resolve he didn’t know but as he helped pull you off the floor, leaving your tears behind as they dried into the stone. You still held his hand, a part of you still afraid to be left behind or separated. His flesh warm against you as you tread through the cobbled walls; you felt as if you had left something behind on that step. Feeling lighter your feet bounced over the stones their rough surface like a dull itch to the palm of your feet. Water fell in from the ceiling, giving the hall an almost ethereal look along with the few candles that scattered the floor. Eventually coming across a giant hole, you couldn’t see how far down it went and immediately all you could think of was getting prompted to “Jump down a dark hole?” from an old PS1 game you used to play. How nostalgic. “There’s no way on knowing what’s down there…” Sebastian broke the silence. “Why don’t you drop a match down?” Your idea spur of the moment and deadpan, leaving you both in silence before laughing together lightly. “How have I not thought of that before?” “Well, how many dark holes are you jumping down Sebastian?”

A brief moments break before Sebastian withdrew a match and threw the lit fire into the depth; though it didn’t do much as it was soon out of sight. “Well fuck…” you blurted out though it echoed down the hole. “Do we have to Sebastian?” Instead of responding Sebastian hoisted you up into his arms and leaped into the darkness; your shrill scream again echoing through the void.

 

Landing in a wet cave was the last thing you wanted. It was, of course, dark as fuck but the ground felt disgusting on your feet. Like you were standing on someone’s intestine lining; it was wet and slimy plus the floor felt like the villi protrusions of the small intestine. How you’d come to know what those felt like was a long career in nursing but feeling supersized ones between your toes was nasty! A few monsters hung about but they were no match for Sebastian’s shotgun, its loud blasts reverberating through the cave. Working through the horde, you came upon a doorway boarded loosely with planks of wood; Sebastian kicking through them quickly. You carefully stepped around the wood and splinters to follow him deeper into the underground.

Ruvik was, however, enraged; you dare to defy him so by pushing so hard against his hold on you. What had spurred your mental defiance so strongly? He had been a fool and lost his grip, wanting to see what you’d you with slightly more leash. Sure the farther you were the harder it was to keep his grip but now he was completely unable to lay a solid hold. Ruvik had to hand it to you, finding such a strong will after he was sure of his control. You were strong, just like Laura but you would cave to him. He would have you regardless if you wanted him or not.

He spun in place, the cool light of the library casting him in an ominous shadow. This place was so cold without you, even the lights seemed frozen without your love. Ruvik let out a scream; a mix of anguish and frustration. He was so close but you had pushed him away, his mind swirled with thoughts of you trying to hurt him. His hands flying to grip the weak flesh of his skull, digging into it and letting small drops of blood to coat his nails. There’s no way you’d do this to him, you’d been so nice to him… you probably didn’t realize what you’ve done, yeah. That had to be it. You didn’t realize you’d hurt him and he just had to teach you a lesson. You needed a reminder of who was in charge and by god would he be the one to teach you. Ruvik could feel his blood run south with anticipation.

 

You and Sebastian made your way through the darkness only to wind up in the familiar halls of Beacon, a bright light shone through the plastic windows of the swinging doors that lay in front of you. Both sets of feet sped up and burst through the door, once again in the familiar basement lab you’d come to know but it was extremely bright, disjointed from its true location in the hospital. In front of you was Jimenez, he stood with his back to you fiddling with the STEM machine. “Doc, what the hell is going on?” Sebastian’s voice was cool, you’d never think he’s just been sprinting. Though Jimenez, on the other hand, seemed frazzled as he spoke. “There’s no time. I need to figure out how to reverse this if we’re going to stop him.” He stood in a pool of water which surrounded the tubs. Sebastian carried on trying to coax the doctor to tell him more. “Who? This “Ruvik” guy?” Jimenez kept on while mumbling about how he needed to find something. “We can’t help if you leave us in the dark, Doc.” A slight impassive tone to his voice. “And you need us to help.” He was clearly as fed as you were with the doctor. You wondered how long it took you to get fed up with him. Jimenez sighed and turned to face the two of you. “He – we, were working on a method… How can I explain this?” Speaking quickly though his voice was a jumble of nerves. “It’s like linking brains together. Sharing everything on an electrochemical level. Emotion, memory, perception – everything. Directly. It’s unprecedented… The implications of psychology, on pharmaceuticals, on consciousness itself—“

Jimenez trailed off after his monologue, string in awe of the machine above him. While you knew this world was this way due to Ruvik’s brain being the host, the way Jimenez described it made it sound so dreadful and vague. Did he really know every side effect this machine was capable of? “Are you serious? It’s a fucking nightmare!” Sebastian retorted loudly, breaking you from though and back to the conversation at hand, but he was right. It is a nightmare in here.

“Well, I didn’t say it was perfect. Especially with such a… unstable host.”

Sebastian stepped closer to the doctor, keeping you behind him. “Great. So your research partner is a psychopath, and we’re all inside his head…”

“THAT CAN’T BE!”

Your outburst calling the attention of the two men in front of you. “R- Ruvik can be mean but surely he isn’t that bad…” your voice grew quieter the more you spoke. Unsure if you could really defend him; could he really be so bad? “(Y/n), you truly spent a lot of time with him haven’t you?” Jimenez scoffed and wiped some blood that dripped from his nose. “Tell me, did you truly know him? Or did you just see the mask he wore in front of you?” Straightening and turning back to Sebastian after thoroughly shutting you up, he resumed speaking. “To your question Sebastian, not exactly, no. All of us are contributing on some level… but he’s the only one with conscious influence.”

Sebastian kept moving away from you, closer to the center of the room. You stared up at where Ruviks brain would be though in its place was the blinding light which bathed the room. You held a hand in front of your face and tried to squint through your fingers to spot him; the world tuned out around you, completely ignoring the ongoing conversation in front of you as the light drew you under its spell. With a blink, it was broken and you were back, Jimenez drifting into your ears. “Well, it’s just a theory but… I’d say he wants us dead.” The room flickered and Sebastian was gone, you were left with the Doctor. “Of course he wants you dead asshole! I know you were the one who put him in here!” Jabbing your pointer finger at him in accusation. “I saw you at his house! I know you hurt him!” Jimenez turned to saunter towards you. “And you do you care (y/n)? Perhaps you’re closer to him then I thought? Gallivanting behind the hospitals back with you superior no doubt.” He was snickering to himself. “Such a stupid girl… you really fell for that psychopath? HA! I’m sure he loves his little toy… but how long until he’s fed up and bored?” Jimenez came close enough to grab your hair, forcing you to look at his disgusting face, and with the venom of a snake, he spat. “Just like all his other test subjects.”

He shoved you away and returned to the machine. “Honestly (y/n), it’s like you think he could ever love you… such a pity. Here you are sleeping with your co-workers…” He turned back to look at you, still holding your hair in pain. “You could have had much better options…” You wanted to be sick from the drawl he added, he was truly a disgusting man; part of you hoped Ruvik could have his way with him. In anger you stormed out of the room, back the way you came and hope you could find Sebastian quickly, though where you ended up was not exactly where you expected to be; you walked into the library you once sat so willingly in.  
Though the room was cold, like the room you knew was no longer here. The wood floor moaned as you traveled across it, its chill traveling through your spine and you clutched your arms in an attempt to spread warmth across your midsection. Pushing again through the huge library doors into the hallway, though this time it was lit and you were able to see everything through its blue tint. The walls were covered in beautiful paintings and the carpet beneath you kissed your feet from its plush feel. Deciding to just wander the house, you turned and aimlessly began wandering down the hall.

As you turned a corner Ruvik appeared when you had previously stood. Watching after you with a small smile on his face. He had Sebastian to deal with but he could certainly enjoy himself while you wandered about.


	21. Chapter 21

The house was frigid, you could feel your toes freezing against the wood and tile as you explored. The house was ornate and beautiful but you could feel eyes boring into the back of your skull. Turning around only let you catch glimpses of a tattered white robe; you knew Ruvik was following you it couldn’t be anyone else. House seeming to grow colder the more you tried to peek at him.

The windows alight with pale blue, appearing frosted over as you tried to look out of them. As is the world outside didn’t exist. If you weren’t freezing you could have called the windows romantic in a sense… reminding you of people snuggling under covers during the dead of winter, simply enjoying each other’s company. You let out a sigh as you continued on, something surely so pure seemed so distant compared to everything you’d been experiencing. The feeling made your head spin, while some part of you screamed out for Ruvik, the majority of you cried for your former self. They just couldn’t seem to co-exist, seeming to be at odds with one another.

“You seem conflicted… Perhaps you’d like to talk about it.”

The voice of Ruvik jolting you back to the present; you’d wandered into a parlor room, the fireplace sparking to life with your attention. Ruvik stood by the mantle of the fireplace, his tattered robe replaced with the same sharp slacks and meticulously pressed button-up you’d become so familiar with. His bandages omitted, revealing his bare skull and the glass plate that held his brain safely within. Drawing closer to the heat of the fire, yet wary of Ruvik and his grasp. “Come here my dear, you look so cold…” He held his arm out to you but hesitation stopped you. His face quickly contorting with anger before relaxing. “Perhaps I have been too harsh on you my sunflower; you force me to be so passionate, I often forget myself… You are indeed someone I care deeply about… It’s… hard to feel so much love after all you’ve felt is pain…” He looked solemnly into the fire, his left hand tracing along the marbling of the fireplace.

Your heart broke, you didn’t know exactly what happened but his numerous burns would have been from immense trauma. Now he looked a little like Leslie, with his distant stare and tight lip. If Leslie had slightly more angular features he would have been a doppelganger for Ruvik. Your soft spot for Leslie, you’re one weakness opened you up taking Ruvik into your arms and cradling him. With your face buried in his shoulder you were unable to see the Cheshire grin of a master manipulator; sure the trauma Ruvik had faced may still be a sore spot of emotion he was willing to use whatever tools he needed to complete his goals. Years locked away in the manor’s basement taught him that and you had become his end goal, he couldn’t bear to be without you. The punishment you would receive for defying him would surely be harsh but perhaps with your newfound hesitance, he would need to take a different approach.

Ruvik began rubbing your back. “My dear you are so cold…” He sat you in front of the fire, retreating to a cabinet just outside of the fires reach and withdrawing something. The closer he drew the garment he brought was familiar. Your sweater, the one you had shed long ago was now back and draped around your shoulders. The fabric warm, dry and clean; you pulled the fabric tight around you, looking up at Ruvik in question. “I couldn’t let my sunflower go cold, could I? Flowers don’t bloom in the cold.” He sat next to you, wrapping an arm around you and bringing you into his chest. Thankfully your body was warming up, inhibitions dropping as your eyelids began to droop. This was all oddly domestic, you felt at home and calm like you hadn’t been beaten and assaulted by the man holding you so gently. Head lulling onto his shoulder as you enjoyed the warmth, his warmth. Trying to look past his behavior and have empathy, the same empathy, and love you gave to Leslie.

“Could you imagine a life like this sunflower?”

Ruvik trailed off as he stared into the darkness; the shadows from the fire dancing along the walls. “Coming home to this, our love… our home…” He pulled you further onto his lap, laying your head across his legs while he pets your hair. Shifting slightly in his grasp as he stared down at you. “Ruvik I – I don’t know…” You stopped, unable to keep speaking but once again he silenced your need to keep speaking. “It’s okay my sunflower, you’re confused and stressed here… My love will always be here for you when your ready you will know. Now try and get some sleep.” With his words your eyes crept shut as you fell into a dreamless sleep, a happy smile dusting your cheeks.

Ruvik watched you, hoping his seed had planted. He brushed a strand of hair from your face while watching you sleep. He truly could stay like this forever but his work needed to be finished. Leslie was almost ready and he would be able to finally hold you. To really feel your flesh against his; since separated from his nerves every physical feeling had been muffled as if in a dream. His brain interpreting the stimulus under a veil, almost muted completely and every touch felt like it was through a thick fog. Removing himself from under you and laying a kiss to your cheek Ruvik returned to haunting His other intruder. Sebastian had gone a while without being fucked with, and that certainly wouldn’t do.

Sebastian crept around the manor quietly. It had been a while since Ruvik had been right on his tail, basically up his ass with how frequently he had appeared and chased him around. Sebastian was ready to punch the fucker out, tired and pissed off for having to hide every 5 minutes between running for his life. Hiding out in the library may have not been the best place to hide, Sebastian noticing the lived in appearance of the room. The blankets on the couch but the footprints in the dust were far too small to be Ruvik, they had to be yours. Sebastian scratched his head. How the hell you’d gotten over here after he’d left you in the hospital was baffling but this whole world was topsy-turvy so there was no use in trying to make sense of it all right now.

Going over to the only desk in the room. Journal open across its surface but the content was unnerving. Sketches upon sketches of you, though most of it was of recent events. There were drawings of you from as far back as the ambulance crash. The tears you shed after beating one of the haunted to death, how limp you were when he had carried you further into the village. It seemed like your entire journey had been cataloged in pencil but as Sebastian turned a page, depictions of your previous punishment. The detail given to your face forced him to flush; the pleasure laden expression forcing emotions he didn’t expect. But as his eyes traveled down your eviscerated body the sudden heat of his cheeks felt dirty. The violent erotica, while initially interesting churned his stomach with each gory detail, Sebastian hoping that these sketches were pure fantasy despite all the others being real moments.

The world pulsed with blue light once more, signaling Ruvik’s arrival. Sebastian dropped the journal and darted about the room trying to hide, eventually deciding to hide behind a small half wall that gave place to the couch covered in blankets.

Dimming his lantern and trying to still his breathing as the door burst open. Ruvik treading casually into the room; moving over to the desk. Noting Sebastian’s recent discovery he pocketed his journal, can’t let it fall into the wrong hands. Choosing to skulk about the room and perhaps insight a bit of fear into the meddling detective. His steps slow and methodical, purposely blocking the exit of the library as he encroached on Sebastian’s hiding spot.

Coming around the wall, anticipation filling his veins; but Sebastian was not there. Ruviks smile faltering the door to the library creaking as it swung on its hinges.

Sebastian had slipped past Ruvik as he rounded the couch and bolted for the door. A push of adrenaline driving him through the building. He needed to find out and protect you from the madman; he had seen Ruvik’s memory of murdering his own parents. The man had to be unstable, maybe even a psychopath but most likely really fucked up. Sebastian couldn’t let you fall into the hands of such a terrifying man. In his rush stumbling through the halls but with luck barging right into the study you slept in. The blue tint of the world disappearing but something in Sebastian’s gut told him it wasn’t for long; he shook you awake, the scent of burnt wood filling his nostrils as you lay in front of the quiet fireplace. His quick movement shocking you out of sleep and into Sebastian’s arms as he lifted you upwards and began moving quickly through the manor. Your scream lost in the scuffle.

“S – Sebastian?? What’s going on? Where are we going?”

Your inquiry wrought with panic and confusion. He kept his head forward as he ran back to the main foyer trying the door only to find it locked. “We need to get you out of here!” Sebastian’s voice was frantic and breathy from his running. His head darting around trying to find another way while you clung to him; whipping around to find the large imposing door he ran past countless times while solving batshit crazy puzzles had some red fluid pumped into it and seemed to look unlocked. Willing to take his chances he ran to the door, pushing on it with his shoulder and the doors swung open to reveal a long red hallway. Lit periodically with candles, their dancing flames moving about the hallway.

As Sebastian carried you through the hall the door swung shut behind you, the whirring of locks coming it. Trapping you to your new path. Traveling further Ruvik appeared at the end of the hallway forcing Sebastian to stop; turning to run as Ruvik began teleporting closer his arm coming up to point towards the two of you as his face became cold, deranged even. You buried your face into Sebastian’s shoulder, unwilling to look at the man who had just been so kind to you appear like a demon consumed with rage.

Blinded by Sebastian’s shoulder you only heard a loud thump as Sebastian toppled towards the floor. The impact never came, instead, you left a flipping sensation as if you fell through the floor completely. Sebastian’s hand came to cradle the back of your skull, a child voice drifting into your ears. “Slice clean… All the way…” Lifting your head to see Sebastian who ran his free hand over the top of your head. “No cure for what I’m going to do to you…”  
Sebastian looked over to the source of the voice, your own head following. Neck straining to see what looked like a child working away at a desk; though he seemed more corporeal than the surrounding world. His tiny form seeming to slosh about like water suspended in air. He paid the two of you no mind, not even turning to see you. Sebastian set you down and began to carefully approach the boy. Once close enough Sebastian whispered out “Ruvik?” causing the boy to burst into bugs. You shrieked at the sight of them as they scuttled and swarmed over to the right wall of the room, building on one another until solidifying and crumbling away to reveal a downward staircase. The remaining skittering bugs heading down while the rest of the room seemed to break apart into the air. Being sucked down the stairwell; feeling the pulling sensation yourself as you came up behind Sebastian, holding his arm tightly. Sebastian stepped closer to peer down the steps, the young boy waiting at the bottom. Still, like a statue; his visage was eerie as he stared up at you.

Sebastian turned to you, pulling you behind him more before taking you downstairs with him. The specter, bugs and air debris leading you through the winding hallways and back to the… the last room? You had somehow come back into the room you’d just left, the boy standing dead center, absorbing the red bugs and forming into a giant humanoid mass. Sebastien shuttering as the beast formed. Shutting his eyes with furrowed brows.

The beast bellowed at you as you coward behind Sebastian. Thankfully he seemed to come to relatively quickly and immediately shot at the monster. It burst into mist after a few shots, before you could register however Sebastian had pulled you through the room to the right though in the staircases place was instead a lit hallway capped with a door. Bursting through again entering the original room but before you could step forwards the opposite wall shot off, stretching into darkness, taking the young boy and his desk with it. Leaving tripwires and a roof covered in spikes in its wake. Getting through the wired hazard, you soon found yourself in a hall of giant mannequin heads. Their various sizes towering over you, blank eyes staring directly into your very being. Sebastian leading you through the crumbling heaps of heads; what you thought was a clearing soon became an iron cage maze. The monster from before back on your tail and you darted through the metal walls that would slam down from nowhere. Forcing you to take as long as possible through the locked gate and scattered traps.

Heart pounding in your chest as it drifted ever closer to you, even as you escaped the maze only to be forced to outrun the walls of heads as the came smashing together behind you. The wailing of the beast trapped within the vacant heads. Ending back in the room this all started in, though this one seemed vacant; like it had shown you all it could offer and was now letting you leave. A childlike mural painted on the wall depicting sunflowers.


	22. Chapter 22

Leaving the room behind for good, you and Sebastian tread carefully through a short hall. A double door opening to a bright field covered in sunflowers. You stopped for a moment to collect your thoughts in the sunshine. Finally feeling a little calmer after feeing for your life. Sebastian moving forwards into the field towards the barn, seeming to be the epicenter of the field. The sunflowers seemed to reach out for you, their leaves tickling your face and you moved after Sebastian. He’d gotten pretty far ahead of you but as you stepped through the flowers after him, the speed at which you traveled reminded you of a Japanese movie you watched long ago. Chuckling to yourself, maybe you’d find a bathhouse on the other side of these flowers? That would be a much more preferable adventure. Though the barn you’d headed for was your destination. Calling out for Sebastian to wait for you as he entered the barn, doors swinging closed behind him and the sounds of children playing escaped from the cracks.

You groan while pushing on the door, tired of being locked out again. Instead of opting to explore around the barn a little while you hoped Sebastian would come back out. Part of you expecting to hear gunshots like this barn was some boss battle arena. You laughed, there’s no way it could be. That would be too perfect and plus, you couldn’t actually be inside A video game.

As you circled the left of the barn, a feminine scream rang out as the wooden building burst into flame. Nursing instinct kicking in, running back to the barn door and trying in vain to push on it as the screams of two children wailed in your ears. Hearing something hit the ground somewhere you darted around the barn looking for the source of the thump, trying the boarded windows in vain as you searched. The blazing fire forcing you to keep your distance from the building. Nothing but an ornate wooden door was there. Turning the corner completely removing the barn from existence, replaced with a door frame.

With nowhere else to go as the wind howled you advanced to the door, opening it only to see nothing. It leads nowhere, just to the other side of the door. Blinking in disbelief, sure that you were to find something supernatural behind its wooden frame but instead it was simply a door. A plain normal door. You closed and opened the door again and yet nothing. Just you, the door and the sunflower field but now the wind felt more sinister. The open expanse making you extremely anxious; the sunflowers seemed to taunt you as they danced in the wind. You stared out into the distance, something inside of you expecting some horror to jump out at you any second now. Hearing rustling growing closer you backed against the door, fear flooding your veins. Hand traveling to the doorknob out of instinct and turned the knob. Though this time you fell through the door finally taking you somewhere else. You could see the sunflowers begin to shake as whatever was coming barreled towards you. You could catch a couple grey arms fly up from the sunflowers and contort around as you violently shook your legs around in an effort to kick the door shut.

It slammed against the door frame just as the flowers parted. Keeping the beast a mystery as the door warped out of sight. Leaving you splayed out on the floor in silence. Catching your breath while staring at the ceiling, but soon you stood once more. Moving to the elevator and entering into the wrought iron frame.

As you entered the doors shut and began descending into the dark. Of course soon as the elevator mad noise you had whipped around to the entrance, seeing Ruvik standing there. His tattered robe blowing in an imaginary wind. He walked forwards, his face kinder than when he last chased you. You backed into the iron bars though you couldn’t get away. He came to stand close enough that you could feel his breath dust upon your face. He smiled down at you but it was cold and felt distant like he was smiling at a longing memory instead of you.

Suddenly his had shot up and grabbed your throat, the force rocking the elevator. His entire hand could wrap around your throat and the way he was squeezing cut off your air. Your hands gripping onto his wrist as your eyes rolled back into your head. “Such a dirty sunflower…” He chuckled at you, hand releasing slightly to let you take in another breath before resuming his grip. “You like this don’t you… This feeling of powerlessness, the chase…” He pulled your whole body upwards with just his hand, forcing you onto your tiptoes. “Only I can give you what you crave sunflower…” His intense stare, the choking, and hell even his strength had seemingly turned you on. You could feel the heat of your core growing, the familiar symptom of arousal.  
As much as this was your fantasy, you couldn’t help but be ashamed of your reaction. Like a light, Ruvik could turn you on seemingly at will.

“You are still so defiant sunflower; need I remind you? You are mine, I will do with you as I please…”

He lay a chaste kiss to the tip of your nose. His grip was what you felt the most, becoming lightheaded as he cycled through tight and lax grip. His hips pressed into yours, pinning you further into the metal. “You know sunflower… I have half a mind to wreck you right here.” His breath drifted into your ear as he continued. “Spread you open and make you scream for me… Would you like that dear?”

So close he forced you to shutter, HE EVEN LEANT IN TO DRAG YOUR EARLOBE BETWEEN HIS TEETH. This was too good to be true right now. His free hand dancing along your side, dragging lightly over your skin which was highlighted due to your lack of air. Grabbing your leg, his free hand hoisted it up above his hip bone. Now you could feel his erection straining within his pants which barely contained it. The last remaining button straining against his taut flesh. Again pushing his hips into you, forcing you to grind against himself. A strangled moan escaped your throat as Ruvik released once more. “You’ve yet to answer me sunflower. As much as I love the noises you make, I want to hear you beg.” Again thrusting into you. “Tell me you want me to make love to you right here. Tell me.” His voice deep in your ear as his grip released to let you speak.

“Oh, please Ruvik… Please”

Your voice sounds more like a whine then you realized, your hands gripping onto Ruvik’s tattered coat. “I need you… Right now please…” Your chest heaving with your breath. “Please fuck me… please…” A smirk traveled across his face. Backing away from you quickly. Leaving you to tumble to the floor, around and unsatisfied.

“Earn it.”

Ruvik’s voice echoes around you as he warps out of sight, an exhausted heaving Sebastian in his place along with gaunt severed arms. They twitched about on the floor as you two locked eyes.  
The elevator still continuing down.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Please be aware this chapter contains graphic violence and a rape scene. Reader discretion is strongly advised.)

You both sat panting across from one another in the elevator. Your chest heaving for an entirely different reason, and the embarrassment that bloomed on your cheeks burning. Despite his extremely close call and the adrenaline surging through his veins, Sebastian thought you looked amazing. Just the right amount of disheveled, flushed face and parted lips. You had appeared before him so suddenly, in a veil similar to how Ruvik warped around the environment. Sebastian honestly thought for a minute the devil was popping in for a quick harassment session, but here you were. A certainly welcome surprise after the previous separation; though it seemed to be happening enough that Sebastian should just expect it by now.

 

It took you a hot minute to gather that the man in front of you was Sebastian. Throwing yourself onto him and holding on for dear life, though the heat in your pelvis didn’t dissipate the relief you felt seeing Sebastian felt just as good. With your head buried into Sebastian’s shoulder, going on and on about how you were so worried about him and how you were so glad to see him you couldn’t see the matching red of Sebastian’s own cheeks. Flaring with your embrace’ he wrapped his arms around you. Holding you close against him and able to feel your racing heart from behind your breasts. He wouldn’t say it out loud but the way your fingers dug into his back was something he hadn’t felt in a long time; since his wife passed Sebastian sank into the bottle, falling farther and farther from the memory of the marks Myra had once left while in his embrace. His eyes watered, pulling you closer and letting the stray tears fall into your sweater; he had spent so long avoiding his grief but his growing affection for you began to stir his hidden emotions. Still extremely attached to his dead wife, you had become a wedge between them. He loathed breaking down his thoughts as the current situation wasn’t ideal for distraction and in the lull his thoughts were consumed by turbulent emotion.

 

You had a hard time breathing with how Sebastian had been crushing you against him but as the breast of your sweater had become damp and the struggled shaking of his chest prevented you from moving. Sebastian had let you sob rampantly throughout this trial, and as your friend he needed comfort. Soft hands cradling his hair and rubbing his back.

The elevator finally hit the end of its journey, the metal doors screaming as they pulled open.

You stayed there for a while.

 

Sebastian’s tears dried and you both sat there in silence, Sebastian playing with your hair gently. Eventually, you’d have to keep going, something was bound to find you eventually; slowly coming to a stand and moving through the entrance.

“Shit.” Sebastian hissed. “Back here again?”

You’d stepped back into the Victoriano manor. It’s gloomy atmosphere overpowering, like the fog that filled the foyer. The only way you could go a familiar trek through side hallways; a soft typing heard drifting through the opulent structure. You followed close behind Sebastian once more; through the door into a dingy stone room. A machine sat in the center, reminiscent of the STEM room. Leslie lay silent and still on the bare table. His head fixated into place with ghoulish prongs that looked sharp to the touch. “Doc, what are you doing?” Sebastian’s voice drifted through your ears as you approached Leslie. Inspecting him gently trying to decipher what he was hooked up to. “Trying to save us.” Jimenez spat.

 

Looking around filled you with dread. Behind you lay a barred pit of some sort and chains filled the room, some holding torturous looking devices on their ends. Sebastian kept his conversation with the doctor. “Really? Cause it looks like your making another monster to me.” He began to move closer to Jimenez, circling the man.

“I don’t have time for this, Detective…”

You could hear the clicks of Sebastian’s pistol as he leveled it to the doctor’s head.   
“Neither do I.” Jimenez sighed heavily, clearly agitated by Sebastian’s interference with whatever he was doing to poor Leslie; Sebastian kept circling the man, pistol at the ready.

“Leslie has been here before. And made it back. He survived being linked to Ruvik.”

You turned inattention, your hands wet from the water pooling on the table from redirected pipes. “The only Patient ever, as far as I know…” Turning back to look at Leslie, his face littered with red patches. You reached out to pet his head.

“Wonderful. What does that have to do with any of this? “Sebastian’s voice curt and impatient.

“He’s our way out, Detective. Our only way back.”

Finally, it was your turn to chime in. “What? Jimenez what are you talking about?” as he hustled over to a machine behind Leslie, turning a dial that sat upon it. Hearing it whirr to life as Leslie began to wail in pain, the high pitched machine reminiscent of every other shrill metallic noise which had crippled you thus far. Forcing you and Sebastian to curl inwards from pain. Barely able to hear Sebastian. “That sound…” Trying your best to remain upright and comfort the screaming boy, it was hard as the noise forced your hands over your ears, though it felt as if it was permeating your very skull.

“No – it’s working”

The room began to sway and warp, morphing into the sterile room you once worked in. The room twisting and pulling as Leslie cried and wailed beside you; his table morphing into a deep bathtub. “Oh thank god it’s working.” The haunting prongs becoming the familiar spinal needle helped calm you down, its appearance less painful than its predecessor. You could hardly hear it but the main console behind the tub began beeping loudly, indicating an issue, though the loud siren drowns it out for the most part. The only person able to hear is and seemingly be un-effected was Jimenez looking frantic as he worked about the machine.

 

 

Soon the sounds faded and the pain receded, Leslie’s screams now whimpers as the machine powered down audibly. The room fading back to the dingy terrifying chamber. Free from the pain you began to try and pry Leslie loose. “Leslie sweetie it’s me, (y/n). Are you hurt sweetie? I’ll get you out don’t worry…” Jimenez distraught as he stared at the machine. “It should have… Why didn’t it… ?!” Fussing about the dials and switches. You pulled Leslie free and he buried into you, crying quietly; though the attention of the two men was brought to the other side of the room. Looking up you saw a writhing mass of flesh, bodies of different sizes and parts squirming about as the creature heaved and wheezed through whatever orifice it used to breathe. The flesh seemed melted and looked as if it was dripping off its body, leaving exposed muscle and tendons to the open air. You could hear yourself scream out but your head felt clogged and all sound was muffled.

“That’s it… That’s why…”

The beast was slowly lumbering towards the doctor, it’s many mouths chewing the air as if in warning. Sebastian pulled you and Leslie back away from it. “Doctor, run!” Though Jimenez didn’t flee, he stared in awe up at the beast. Chains that once held it in place dragging along the floor. “He wants the same thing as us… He wants out…” Jimenez’s breathing became quick, almost hysterical. As if he’d made some great realization but really who didn’t want out of here. The monster rose up, its large gaunt arm raising to almost touch the high ceiling and slamming back down on the doctor. Killing him instantaneously with a sickening wet smack. You could hear his bones giving way and shattering as the hand came down. The force from the impact blowing the three of you back, through a chain link fence and through the wall. Hearing Sebastian’s scream cut off as he passed through before you and Leslie.

Thankfully your grip on Leslie was tight enough to keep him with you as you phased through into a barren parkade. Leslie was repeating your name as he clung to you, though you managed to stand him up with you. “Come on Leslie, we gotta keep going… We need to get somewhere safe.” He latched onto your left arm, shuffling closely behind you, though with Leslie your pace had become slower. The lack of life in the empty building was both a relief and ominous. It was incredibly silent, the only sounds were yours and Leslie’s footsteps. You passed a dark hallway, a single fluorescent light still working gave a pitiful bubble of visibility. You could hear heavy steps from the darkness and out of the darkness lumbered the monster. Upon seeing you and Leslie it roared out, shaking the building. Rearing back on its haunches the thing charged at you and Leslie. Adrenaline filling you as you grabbed the boy’s shoulders and pulled him with you into a sprint. Looking for anywhere to escape or hide. Thankfully the beast wasn’t as nimble as the two of you, after taking a sharp turn it smashed into the concrete wall, most likely putting a dent into the structure. You’d managed to get ahead of the creature, throwing yourself and Leslie behind an abandoned car and praying the thing couldn’t see you.

Its heavy footfalls growing louder, you could see its repulsive excuse for feet from under the car as it rounded the corner and barreled down the wide hall cluttered with vehicles. You could hear a man at the end shout something but the echo of the monsters tread was too loud to really make out what it was. The monster seemed to disappear into the floor but you held Leslie tight under the car for a while until the loud slamming had become quieter. It was still close but couldn’t be close enough to see you. You pulled Leslie up and darted in the direction of the monster. It had gone through a hole in the floor; you kept Leslie close as you sidled past the opening. Didn’t want to get closer then you had to now. The parkade had all sorts of nooks that you assumed had been storage and security outposts; trying to find a pedestrian staircase to hide in. It would give you cover and mobility to hopefully evade the monster entirely. You could hear faint gunshots from behind a door. Deciding to peek into it you found exactly what you wanted. The stairwell was barely lit by the emergency lighting, even flickering to add to the spooky atmosphere. You pulled Leslie in with you, letting the door shut quietly. Heading downwards in hopes of escape; it leads you into the terraformed ruins of Krimson city. You weren’t that far from your house really. You’d been in the Krimson star mall parkade, Right off the Krimson expressway.

 

You approached the edge of a newly formed cliff, the drop was more than fatal. Despite how close you were, the new city layout would certainly be an issue. You could see in the different levels of the city move around freely. You decided to move Leslie to the Hospital, it's light shining in the distance. Pulling you towards it. Turning to Leslie, only to see he wasn’t there. You were alone and somehow had lost the boy regardless of how he was clinging to your arm until just now. “Leslie?” You called into the area though no response, you even took the time to look around for him but you were now utterly alone. The ground around you felt like it was moving, forcing you to move on. Leslie would most likely try and make his way back to the hospital as well so there was no use waiting around in a dangerous situation.

Now that you’d found your way back into the city the whole situation began to feel much more like an apocalyptic zombie movie. The monsters that chased you looked much closer to traditional zombies than before. Their street clothes tattered and covered in blood made a terrifying visage. You were able to traverse the city via the debris and fire escapes. After finally reaching what felt like the original ground level you stopped to take a breath. The streets had caved into the sewer system, leaving huge canals full of water open and full of debris and abandoned cars. You could feel eyes boring into the back of your skull looking behind you, there was initially nothing but from the shadows came numerous clones of Ruvik. They strode quietly towards you, their hoods emanating a pitch dark void. As they approached, blocking you between them all, their hands outstretched groping you roughly. Their nails sharp and they dug into your skin, dragging them over your body in a painful mockery of foreplay. Forcing you to the ground they began to beat you. Hands and feet flying at you with all their strength. They seemed to all want a piece of you and were climbing over each other to have a turn; figures building up until you were completely covered and could no longer see your surroundings.

 

Your eyes opened to light. It had only been a couple of seconds since you’d been engulfed by the horde but now they were gone and you again had been teleported somewhere new. An old hospital unit. You hadn’t seen one in ages, having left the more general hospitals long ago. It was old and grimy, there was dust collecting in the corners and there was scattered medical equipment everywhere. The old gurneys looked as if they would shatter if you touched them.  
It must have involved something important as some of the rooms were covered with observation windows, allowing you to peek through the dust-caked glass. As you traversed the facility, you could swear someone or something was watching you; sometimes it almost sounded like there were footsteps off in the distance. Picking up your pace, the atmosphere beginning to freak you out, though as you sped up the sound of an extra pair of footsteps became louder.

“(Y/N!)”

A voice rang from behind you, sounding just familiar enough for you to stop and peek behind you. Still ready to run at the sign of danger, but out of the gloom came Joseph. His wrinkled slacks and muddied shoes coming into view. As your eyes traveled up his form, noting the ax he held in his left hand, going upwards to his face. Covered in lesions, bright red veins making his face look ghastly and pale. He wore a smirk that turned your stomach… advancing slowly towards you, his stride confident and powerful. “There you are…” His voice was different. It held a different tone to it. There was something threatening to emanate from him, perhaps the way he brandished the ax in his hands…

“Come here. There’s something I want to show you…”

You began to back up, uncomfortable with the entire situation but your response seemed to trigger him. His face contorting into primal anger and raising the ax. “I SAID COME HERE!” Charging at you, his steps heavy against the ground; turning to run you barely avoided the first swing of his weapon. You could hear him scream as he chased you, swinging his ax at you constantly. You could feel the air brush against you from the force of his swings. “You have no idea what I’m gonna do to you…” His voice shaky, almost hysterical as he slowed to a quick walk. “When I catch you (y/n)…” He laughed, his voice hitching slightly. “I’ll make you wish you were never born… I’m going to destroy you…”

Trying your best to stay ahead of him, though your body was reaching its peak. Chest burning and legs screaming, knowing you needed somewhere to hide. Ducking into an open circular room. Doing your best to hide out of sight from the observation windows as Joseph drew closer. Dragging his ax on the tiled walls; making a dull scraping noise. “Maybe I can chop all your fucking limbs off… Watch you bleed out… The fear in your eyes would be so delicious…” He’d come to the entrance of the room, plunging his ax into a control box by the door. You’d moved around a counter as he’s moved closer to keep out of sight. Hand over your mouth in an attempt to hide your haggard breath. Trying your best to hear him meander around the center of the room. Going on and on about mutilating your flesh and how lovely it would be.

He went quiet, no words, and no footsteps. You peeked around the corner of the counter but he wasn’t there. The room was empty…

 

 

“THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY?!”

 

Joseph screamed into your ear, grabbing you and pulling you up by your throat to pin you against the edge of the counter. Tears pooled in the corners of your eyes as you grasped weakly at his wrists, your voice tiny and weak. “J – Joseph, please…” He snorted and spat on your face pushing you back onto the counter. “You think I would take pity on you (y/n)? After being such a bad girl… After all, Ruvik has done for you, you betray him at every turn.” Getting so close to you, able to smell his putrid rotting flesh that barely clung to his face. Something about the smirk he wore became hauntingly familiar as if he was emulating Ruvik or perhaps was even Ruvik himself. “I’m going to show you what happens to dirty girls who misbehave…”

He slapped you across the face, open palm before turning you around and forcing your chest onto the countertop. His left hand holding you down by your hair. Pressing his pelvis into your hips making you shiver but certainly, this was a situation you didn’t want at all. You liked Joseph, you could feel this warm friendly pull from him that made you want to do some domestic romantic shit with him but now… The only thing you could feel was dread and disgust. He pulled you upright by your hair. “Would you look at that… an audience…?”

The way he held your head forcing you to look up and into the many observation windows; Ruvik stood cold, uncaring behind the glass. Giving a small wave of his hand and a nod, Joseph slammed your face into the hard countertop. A loud thud echoing through the room before raising you back up. Repeating the same action over and over. The repetitive noise only broke by the sound of your nasal bone cracking. The sickening crunch bouncing around in your head. You wanted to vomit as the blood dripped over your lips; tears finally able to fall. Rubbing your bloody broken face into the counter as you sobbed. “Why are you crying?” Joseph’s tone mocking you. “This is what you get. You Earned this.” You couldn’t breathe out of your nose now; Joseph laying a hard smack on your ass, jolting you forward. “This is what bad girls deserve.”

You could hear the buckle on Josephs pants jingle. You knew what was going to happen next; unable to clench your jaw shut as it was the only way you could breathe. “Since you’re so insistent on wandering I’m going to show you want happens to stray sheep.”  
Pushing your dress up past your ass, still bare from lack of underwear. No replacements had come your way and for the first time, you were extremely embarrassed by that fact. Perhaps if it had been delayed slightly it wouldn’t feel so bad but somewhere inside you knew it couldn’t make this any better. He slapped your bare vulva, forcing a pained scream from your lips. “Oh (y/n), you’re way too tempting; pushing your protector away leaving you ripe for me. If only you knew how I thought about you… How Sebastian thinks about you… All alone just asking for it…”  
Pulling you by your hair to face Ruvik, still standing in the window. Apathetic. Feeling Joseph lining himself up with you, your own cervical fluid not nearly enough to make this bearable.

Forcing his way in, you could see Ruvik’s lips twitch into a smile at your pained expression. Wailing and sobbing at the burning, tearing sensation in your vagina. Between breaths, Joseph slammed his free hand down in a fist against your mid-chest. Knocking the air out of your lungs and forcing you to spasm around him. Through your screams, you could hear a pleased gravely moan seep out of him. Your breath escaping you as your chest fluttered in panic while Joseph set a brutal pace, your vision growing dim. You had to calm down. You had to force your chest and diaphragm back into rhythm. Perhaps the hardest thing you’ve ever done but you managed to force your chest to expand properly and take in a proper gasp of air. Ruvik still watching on as you managed to keep conscious. Your hips were forced into the sharp counter, drawing red marks along your skin. Joseph was breathing heavily into your ear, chewing on the cartilage harshly. “Such a tight thing… No wonder Ruvik was keeping you all to himself.” The word that could describe his voice was gross. “No matter… this is what you get after all. I don’t mind having a little fun.” You shut your eyes, trying to tune him out.

“LOOK AT ME!”

It was hard to ignore someone right in your ear, so intimately close. “YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN I FUCK YOU, WHORE!” The pressure of your head forced between the counter and his hand unbearable. Eyes cracking open through your tears to see Joseph’s pustule ridden face. “That’s it… Be a good girl now and maybe I’ll be quick.” Laughing as your face turned green with disgust. There was no way this could be the Joseph you knew, could it? You could see his mangled teeth, lips barred as he pounded you into the surface. Thankfully your body had begun to produce its own lubrication in order to ease the pain; Joseph glaring at you while going on about how horrible you were. Your pained groans had slowly built into what could sound like pleasure as your body was forced into a growing peak. The fact that you couldn’t close your mouth didn’t help either as it prevented you from holding in any noises you made and letting them out into the air. He was getting closer, you could feel it as his pace became erratic as well as how he grasped onto the back of your neck.

“TELL ME YOU WANT IT! BEG FOR ME (Y/N)!”

“Please, Joseph! I want it, please… Please, Joseph!”

He cackled and stuttered. His orgasm peaking as he filled you up. His hard final thrusts forcing your body to wash with empty pleasure. Thankfully not a satisfying but an empty orgasm. The lack of intensity making you feel slightly better. You couldn’t feel Joseph pull out as your entire pelvis was numb. Exhausted you lay there against the counter, chest heaving.

“Oh god… (y/n)… I – I don’t know what came over me… Oh god, I’m so sorry…”

You could hear Joseph behind you, his voice sounded different. Less gruff and certainly kinder. His hands moved to your shoulders, Joseph pulling you off the counter to see your injuries. His face clean and unmarred. “I – I hurt you… Oh god (y/n) I’m so sorry.” You could see the pain in his face. Perhaps you were right and the Joseph you’d just seen wasn’t real but right now you were too physically and mentally exhausted to really react. Until now you’d only help people pick up the aftermath of such trauma from the distance of a nurse; you were living it now and under such strange circumstances you could believe Joseph could be telling the truth. You could see it in his eyes, the previous damage, gone in place of perfectly white sclera.

Joseph was forced back into the wall from an unseen force. The impact knocking him out cold as Ruvik stepped around the counter. You could hear him making a quiet tsk noise as he picked you up into his arms. 

“Are you sorry sunflower? Perhaps next time you’ll think of what could happen to your friends next time you defy me.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for being so patient with this next chapter!  
> This chapter contains the aftermath of rape; I have tried to pay it as much respect as it demands but if you see something that needs to be omitted or added please message me and let me know. This is a sensitive topic and I don’t want to portray it improperly.

Frigid.

Your entire body felt numb, yet it ached in the most revolting way. You wanted to vomit, rip your skin off. Anything that could separate you from how you felt both inside and out. Tears welled in the corners of your eyes.

Sitting entrapped in Ruviks embrace. His arms holding you tight to his lap while he whispered into your ear. His whispers were like screams of torment as he offered pathetic consolation.  
Wanting nothing more than to beat him yourself, but your body was so tired. Utterly exhausted though, your emotions still swarmed like a hurricane inside you. Ruviks right hand moved to your thigh; flinching violently in his grip.

“It’s okay sunflower, you’ve learned your lesson haven’t you? It won’t happen again as long as you behave…”

Could he be any worse? Most likely, but his words struck a chord. Beginning to thrash violently in his grip. Ruviks fingers digging into your sore flesh as he tried in vain to keep you against him. Your body escaping with fresh red welts from his nails. Collapsing at his feet you spat at him in rage. “Don’t fucking touch me you bastard!” His face growing cold, leaning back in his decrepit seat as if it was a throne. Watching as you curled within yourself. “On the contrary sunflower. I may do what I please to you.” He smirked, eyeing you from under his hood. His emotions turning on a dime, with amusement heavy in his tone. “You belong to me, and you will learn to behave.” Like an animal on its haunches you began pushing yourself away from the monster sat in front of you. Your words dripping with venom and pent rage.

“I belong to no one but myself. You have no right to hurt me!”

“You may think that, but your tiny mind is so perfectly malleable… you bend so perfectly under my touch. You can be so well behaved.”

His legs spread wider, exuding power and confidence. Your stomach was churning but you had to get up. You couldn’t cower in his presence any longer. Shaky legs held you up as your world spun. The bare room around you coming in and out of focus.

“Let me take control sunflower. I know what you need, what you deserve… There is no one else who could ever fit me so perfectly. You are made for me.”

He stood, sauntering over to you. The man who had brought you so much pain and had treated you so poorly saw you as some selfish conquest. The scope of Ruviks madness was slowly coming together in your mind. His façade being chipped away the more you had fought him.  
Had he ever really loved you as he claimed? Maybe? But probably not. What he saw in you, you had no idea but the love you held for him was shattered. He was hiding things from you. If he could make Joseph do such horrible acts, he certainly could do much more. He came closer, his aura suffocating you. As if your will to fight grew smaller the closer he became.

It dawned upon you. The many times you had become complacent, was Ruvik. Somehow he had such a power over you; to a point where he could influence your behavior. Sure you preferred a submissive role in your sexual life, but before entering S.T.E.M. that behavior was your choice, delegated to only sexual activity. But could he have the power to manipulate your whole being? Make you act a certain way…

Ruvik took your arm and wrapped them around his neck, forcing you into an embrace.  
“That’s it sunflower, isn’t better when you behave? Such a good girl…”  
His touch burnt, like claws of molten iron. Your arms felt locked in place as if something was holding them in place, yet nothing was there. You had no slack to struggle, but your legs were free. Bringing up your leg straight into his crotch. Hard enough to separate the two of you.  
A noise of pain came from Ruvik but you didn’t stick around to see if he was okay. Pushing him away as you bolted from the room; entering into the decrepit halls of an apartment building. You could hear Ruvik scream in rage behind you. The familiar warping around you, grabbing at you but it could never keep its hold. It would grab and you could feel it try and pull you away from your surroundings. Like it was trying to warp you away; preventing your escape but it could not take its hold. Slipping out of its grip every time as you barreled through the building and out into the street. As you came running into the open, countless beasts turned to you. Their patrolling rounds interrupted as they began charging at you. Weapons at the ready.

You kept running, unsure of how you hadn’t collapsed by now. How the warping couldn’t get you; but there was no time to think, the destroyed streets cluttered with debris were becoming a detriment as they allowed the following horde to catch up with you. Looking around, the only place you had any hope of leaving the group behind was a small alley, blocked by some iron bars. There was no way you could climb over but perhaps you may be able to squeeze through.  
Darting to your immediate left, into the tighter path and forcing your body sideways into the grate. Your extremities slid through but the bars just prevented your torso from sliding through.

You could hear the cried and growls behind you as you pushed out all the air in your lungs. Trying to make your chest as small as possible. It moved slightly, now halfway between the bars as you gave another tremendous push. Still not entirely through.

The horde made it to the alleyway and the monsters tried to reach you. The entirety of the group trying to enter the alley, forcing them to become stuck on each other and slow considerably. Their filthy wrought hands reaching for you as their jaws gnashed together.

 

You had no air to feed your body, the corners of your vision began growing dark as you pushed with all your strength. Praying you’d pop through or pass out before the horde reached you.  
Your torso sliding through the bars as the force of your push sent you through completely and onto the dirt. Gasping in pain as air re-entered your lungs. Burning just and Ruviks hands had.  
Looking behind you, the horde had managed to sort itself out and the first in line ran straight into the bars. A loud clang resounding as one’s skull smashed directly into a bar. They were trapped on the other side, arms reaching through trying to grasp and swing their small melee weapons. Your pain faded much too quick, reminding you of how it felt when dreaming. It wasn’t really there. You were aware of S.T.E.M. you were now aware of Ruviks possible extent of control. Did your level of awareness limit its effects?

Pushing yourself up, leaving the horde behind as you ventured deeper into the alley. Climbing through and over more obstacles into a tight side street.

“(Y/N!)”

You froze, looking around but seeing no one until you heard metallic footsteps above you.   
“Sebastian!” You called upwards as he began to climb down off of a fire escape. Landing in front of you. His arms outstretched towards you but he hesitated. Seeming to battle with something within himself. Though his raised arms were too tempting; throwing yourself into his chest and breaking down. Sobbing into him, finally able to feel safe as he wrapped his arms around you. Holding you tightly as you sobbed heavily, hyperventilating even. Sebastian eased you to the ground, rubbing your back gently; his head rests atop yours as he gave you the first bit of actual comfort you’d had in what felt like a long while. “Shhhh (y/n), what’s wrong? Can you tell me?”  
He gave you all the time you could ever need but as you opened your mouth, the only word to come out was “Ruvik…” before you began hyperventilating again as you tried to elaborate. Tears streaming down your face as you ugly cried in the street. Sebastian holding you gently and doing his best to dry your tears. You clambered into his lap, clinging to Sebastian’s shoulders for dear life.

You eventually were able to articulate what had happened, Joseph included. Sebastian’s face was a mix of shock and anger, his hands staining so hard against your skin. Trying his best to not crush you with his hands. Sebastian felt so consumed by anger, how dare Ruvik do such a horrible thing to you. He held you so close to him, rocking you slightly. It felt hard to breathe but it was hard to tell if it was from just Sebastian or from hyperventilating so much, or both.  
“I’m so sorry (y/n)… I’m so sorry…” He mumbled into your hair. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

Honestly, there wouldn’t have been anything Sebastian could have done. Ruvik rules this world and while Sebastian’s words didn’t make you feel better, his concern and worry for you was what helped mend your wounds. To Sebastian you’re a person who he cares for; wants to protect and see grow. He wasn’t like Ruvik, he didn’t want to consume your being and force you into something he wanted.

 

Sebastian made you feel human again.

 

Growling came from the distance. Looking back to the alleyway you had come from, only to find the path gone. Sebastian pulled from you, pulling you to your feet but keeping your hand in his; other glued to his pistol. “We need to keep going…” you nodded in response. Eyes still puffy and not really over your tears but your situation didn’t really allow for you to stop for long.  
Sebastian led you further down the narrow street. The sparse shoots of weeds biting at your tender flesh; a metal staircase leading into another warehouse-like building was a welcome relief to your ankles. Inside was a room cluttered with mannequins, some whole and others in parts but it was no less unnerving. You separated briefly as Sebastian began to root through the freestanding lockers while you puttered about with the false limbs.

A loud bang resounded through the room as a monster threw themselves at Sebastian from inside a locker. Grabbing onto his neck tightly. Without even thinking, you grabbed a leg and swung it at the beast. The limb exploding into dust and plaster chunks upon contact with your target. Forcing it to release Sebastian and stumble back. Sebastian coughed from the dust exploding in his face, pushing you back behind him. The monster standing upright once more and pulled a stick out of his pocket, lighting it. An explosive no doubt; Sebastian walked the two of you to one of the tables scattered in the room. Doing his best to still his coughing, he drew his gun. Firing right into the beasts head and dropping him to the floor. Coughing loudly, he dumped the table to the ground, its contents shattering on the floor as he pulled you to hide behind it. Finally dispelling the dust from his lungs as the explosive went off; the table bumping back into the two of you from the force.

Your ears were ringing slightly as you sat, catching your breath as the dirt settled in the blood spatter around you. “Thanks.” Sebastian huffed, out of breath from coughing.  
“No problem. We protect each other.” Your voice quiet and soft. He reached for you again, his hand soft on your head, his finger accidentally getting caught in your hair which caused you to let out a yelp in surprise. Your face paling as your stomach flipped; tears collecting in your eyes once more. Sebastian’s face was one of horror; appalled at what Ruvik had done to you, forcing this behavior to culminate. He set his hand down, unsure of what to say. You hugged him; you didn’t want to flinch but it reminded you of what happened. His arms carefully wrapped back around you, squeezing carefully before releasing you as you sat up on your knees. He stood with you, holding his hand out for you to take, as it had always been, his flesh was warm and callused. Strong but inviting, just like him.

The room yielded no path. Deciding it was no longer of use you exited the room, back into the sunlight. To your left was your way across; the metal walkway was broken and gnarled but it just perfectly lined up with a plank of metal. It must have been a truck attachment, due to its clustered wheels at one end. “I guess that’s our only way… stay behind me.”

“What?”

“If it breaks, I could toss you to the other side. Being behind me would give me more momentum to toss you.”

“Sebastian I don’t think that’s possible.

“We’ve done weirder since we got here…”

He was true, it had been like an awful mix of a horror game and action movie. Sebastian had you stand a bit further back from him, your hand still tight in his grip and started slowly over the water-filled pit below. It groaned and wailed as you made your way onto the ladder. Bouncing slightly with each step. You weren’t scared of the height but instead of what lurked in the pit below you. Noticing some ripples as something swam close to the surface. It sent a shiver up your spine. Sebastian tugged on your hand lightly, trying to get you to move forward to the end of the ladder. Shuffling after him carefully, feeling slightly wobbly after looking over the edge.

The end of the bridge couldn’t come soon enough. Stepping onto the crumbling asphalt and onto the safe ground was a relief. You expected the bridge to collapse behind you as you turned back to look at it, but it held strong. Leaving the structure to rot, you and Sebastian carried on.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AH thank you for being so patient for this chapter! I have been stuck on it for a while and finally got it to come out a way that I liked. I hope it’s worth the wait!  
> xoxo -Kei

The shattered cement under your feet hurt like hell. You’d only turned a corner and BOOM Joseph. He was walking around a school bus, seeming to inspect the yellow lug. Sebastian strode forwards, you in hand. “Thank god you’re alright.” Seemingly forgetting your previous encounter until you hesitated in stride. Sebastian stopped, looking back at you. Josephs’ face was written with pain, yet he didn’t speak. Just looked upon you with what you couldn’t determine between sorrow and pity. “(Y/N), I…” Joseph trailed off his voice a quiet croak; he didn’t dare reach for you. Fearful of his own control, Joseph still wasn’t sure how he was able to commit such an act and honestly didn’t remember much of it.

Like a blackout, he was dead to the world but the evidence of his crime stuck out in his mind since he came to. He felt like a monster but was certain you felt much, much worse. Cowering behind Sebastian slightly, your mind unsure who exactly was in front of you. Wanting with all your heart to believe the Joseph you met would never be back. Sebastian squeezing your hand which brought you back. Taking a deep breath but still staying behind Sebastian you gave a small silent wave to Joseph. He nodded. Still unsure of what really transpired you stood quietly, leaving the men to talk amongst themselves.

“How did you get here?” Sebastian starting the conversation up again.

“It wasn’t easy… At least I haven’t had any more, uh…” A pregnant pause. “Episodes.”

Joseph holding a sorrowful tone in his words. It felt as if he wasn’t trying to skirt around it. Like he wanted to make sure he was speaking properly about what had been happening to him.

“I wish I could say the same…”

Sebastian trailing off; his statement shocking you. Really you certainly had to be wary of everyone, but part of you felt like Sebastian had more control then Joseph. At least over these episodes considering you had experienced more of Joseph succumbing to S.T.E.M. Another heavy pregnant pause before Joseph perked up slightly. His voice was brighter.   
“Hey, I think I may have found us some transportation. Turning the school bus behind him. Entering the bus behind the two discussing if it would run or not, you swore you could hear the growing sound of clacking. The noise soon coming onto the bus as Julie scrambled into the vehicle cursing loudly as she slid into the driver’s seat and tried to forcefully start the engine.

“What are you doing?!” Sebastian’s voice going higher in surprise. Approaching her casually.

“Answer me Kid—“

The bus jolting awake and throwing Sebastian and you forwards as the motion cut him off. Giant spider legs stomping into the earth beside the bus. You screamed loudly. Shrieking in pure terror and grabbing onto Sebastian fully. It had to be a spider. FUCK.

Like seriously you don’t jive with something that has way too many fucking eyes and TOO MANY GOD DAMN LEGS BITCH WHAT THE FUCK.

Kiddman navigating the bus out of the tight cornered warehouse you had found yourself in. Hearing the abomination roar in a way too human way, your head whipped back. In place of your worst fear was a horrid mix of man, machine and spider barreling after you. The beast caught hold of the thin metal roof with its gross spider leg and began ripping the bus like a tuna can. Sebastian made quick work of you and had you stash away under the seats of the bus as he and Joseph readied to fill the monster with bullets. Julie trying in vain to separate the group from its grip. Watching from your hiding spot on the floor as the bus bumped and swerved about. Guessing the bus was freed until you came to a dead stop inside another building. Peeking out from under the seats as Kiddman spoke about not being safe for long.

A metal box came flying from the sky as the more common beasts filled in from the sides, aiming explosives for you while the three officers worked hard to dispatch the new offenders.  
Retreating under the seat hoping no explosive would make its way inside; the bullets seemed to go on forever, you had to cover your ears as the closed space was making one hell of an echo.  
A large explosion seemed to trigger in front of you as Joseph remarked on the situation. The combustion clearing a path in front of you.

You could already feel the new bruises forming on your beaten frame as the now truck bed platform with sheets chugged along. The huge spider monster ambushing you from the sky and sending your head cracking into the seat above you. You were really getting tired of this. It plunging its appendages into the metal of the bus and rocking the contraption from side to side. It even began producing maggot like offspring that chewed furiously at the men. Thankfully dispatching them before the horrid bugs found you. The monster becoming frantic in its attacks, jumping up onto the bus and reeling back in an attempt to strike many times as Kiddman sped through the streets. The only savior being a large, sturdy overhead tunnel which decapitated the creature and ended its terror.

The group heaving a heavy sigh of relief but the air still held baited breathe and Sebastian helped you out and onto the seat, you had previously been cowering under. Joseph across from the two of you. Holding yourself close to Sebastian and massaging your new wounds gently; he slung an arm around your shoulders. “Where are we heading, Joseph?” His voice rumbling into your chest.  
“I’ve got a theory. We seem to be moved around an awful lot. Almost as if by someone’s will. It’s nearly impossible to get any sense of geography around here. But the light, Beacon Mental Hospital. It’s always in the distance…”

Joseph flashed a sketch of the S.T.E.M. System. “That thing you found me in, I’ve seen it in multiple places.”

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah so have I. It seems like the exact same one every time but it’s hard to be sure. You weren’t sure when to jump in the conversation.

“Every time I run across one I seem to be closer to the lighthouse… It could be a coincidence but like I said, it seems as if there’s some intelligence behind it.” Your sigh was heavy in response.

“So we should just cut straight to the hospital?”

“Exactly.”

You were unsure if you had previously spoken of your knowledge; they were certainly speaking as if they hadn’t. Joseph stood, going up to Julie and directing her, Sebastian squeezing your shoulder. “You okay (Y/N)?”

“Yeah, just a little more beaten and battered but I’ll get by. I’m just glad it wasn’t an actual spider.” Laughing lightly, Sebastian joined in with you. Enjoying the lighter moment as the breeze ruffling your hair. But one last gunshot rang out. A sniper shot had pierced Joseph in the side as he recoiled in pain. Sebastian shouting and helping his partner to a seat; your instinct kicking in and overriding any hesitation as you vaulted to his seat and began assessing his injury. Sebastian screamed at Kiddman to get everyone out of the area. You could hear the blood in your ears pump through your veins. It was relaxing as you couldn’t hear the world around you and just focused on what needed to be done. Joseph was writhing so hard it was difficult to tell. The bus stopped and upon looking up you saw an ambulance with its lights going beyond a sea of abandoned cars. Sebastian left for it, dashing in its direction as you returned to Joseph.

It wasn’t a clean shot through, the bullet was still lodged inside. Causing more pain was inevitable as you felt around his abdomen for ruptures, shatters, fluids that didn’t belong there. From what you could feel it seemed like he ruptured a large organ. Fluid leaking from the wound was not typical and it stank of intestinal digestion. Doing your best to keep Joseph from digging into the wound himself, praying Sebastian could get there fast. You could barely hear the heavy gunfire over your rushing blood.

Finally, Sebastian returned, joining you in patching up Joseph the best you could, fishing out the bullet lodged in his body rather easily. As you were finishing packing his hole with gauze, the bus began moving again. Swerving and speeding down the street, but this was different, the bus started lifting vertically into the air to the point where you all were hanging on for dear life, rotating off an overpass and careening into a building. Being knocked off into the rubble as the bus skid ahead of you, Joseph and Sebastian. Falling off into the abyss.

The carpeting you had landed on looking awfully familiar. Head darting up to the decimated walls of your apartment building. The familiar kitsch of the halls bathed in grime and destruction. You noticed a newspaper scattered on the ground the front headline showing the Victoriano Mansion burnt to the ground. Ruviks’ house burnt to ashes the day after he went missing… You stood up, the garish red and yellow walls contrasting with the navy blue carpet you’d come to call home.

Sebastian took your hand again as you reached out for him. Peering over the ledge where Kiddman and the bus had fallen.

“There’s no way to even see her…” Your voice was soft as it traveled into the distance.

“What on earth could have done this?” Joseph trailed off as you all took in the vast destruction of Krimson city. A distant subway train strung between two juts of the earth like a tether preventing two ships from drifting apart in the night. You knew in your heart it was Ruvik; the scope of his ability spread out before you, clear as day. If you hadn’t woken up to his malice before you sure had now. Sure this was S.T.E.M. so there couldn’t be any real people besides the handful of you that weren’t monsters… Right? You swallowed hard.

“Let’s focus on getting out of here… That subway train could potentially get us across that gap…”

“Sebastian… Assuming there’s nothing in our way to it, you’d be absolutely insane to try and cross something like that.” Your voice breaking the quiet after trailed off.

“Let’s just concentrate on getting out of here.” Joseph spoke confidently as he turned to look at you, then Sebastian. Both men turning and proceeding to scour the decimated environment for supplies and a way out. You kept fixated on the train; dangling between two the two outcroppings of buildings and torn metal. It was a taunting addition to the skyline, both becoming and threatening. You could imagine it swaying precariously in the wind as its worn joints became weaker with each passing minute.

A sudden gunshot sent you recoiling to cover your ears. Turing to see Sebastian shooting into an empty elevator shaft as he lowered his gun. “This way.” Sebastian mumbled before descending a service ladder and walking across an elevator. The contraption shifting as he picked up his pace to make it over to the lower level. Just as he made it safely the elevator screeched as its metal scraped down the wall, sliding into the darkness below. Separated from Sebastian, Joseph readied as if he was going to try and leap across the gap.  
“No, don’t risk it. Stay with (y/n), keep her safe.”

Joseph nodded. Stepping batch from the ledge, realizing you perhaps would have a hard time doing such a feat let alone himself. Your palms were clammy; part of you still in fear of what had happened last time the two of you were alone. Could it happen again? Ruvik would probably be so inclined to. He was vile enough to do it the first time so what would stop him now?  
“Hold on, I think I see another way down. We’ll meet you on a lower level, Sebastian.”

Sebastian disappearing from sight as he slipped into an air vent, you turned to Joseph. He could see the panic in your eyes as your thoughts swirled around. “Here.” Joseph presented you with the handle of his gun. His hand gripping the barrel as he held out his weapon to you. “I – I don’t know if I could…” He trailed off. HIs eyes looking down in shame as he shifted on his heels.   
“Just in case; I want you to be able to protect yourself from any threat. Including me.”  
His tone was grim but you took the pistol. It was heavy and cold in your bare hands. Joseph also handed you all his ammo, even some in boxes labeled for the shotgun strapped on his back. You shoved them into your sweater pockets. Thankful to have the garment back as this dress, like many others lacked pockets. Joseph spent a few minutes showing you how to work that gun, turning off the safety and how to reload. It was helpful, you weren’t really good at the whole point and shoot outside of videogames. It was kind of nice too, it helped you calm down a little feeling more confident in your ability to protect yourself and to see the Joseph you knew once more. You could feel your heart rate calm. Proceeding to try and find your own way out of the building led you to a doorway blocked by a heavy vending machine. There was a tiny space where it had been propped up by the wall it had caught on.

“Do you think you could squeeze through?”

You crouched down, the hole was much too small but the room on the other side looked empty enough to try and set the vending machine back upright or maybe even push it over.  
“You think we could push it over instead? It’s a little cramped.”   
Joseph nodded and extended a hand to help you up. Both readying in the small doorway to push. It moved but only slightly; a dull thud as it hit something immovable. Bending down once more, you peered further while leaning into the hole slightly. You couldn’t see anything.  
Joseph grunted and the venting machine lifted up. “Try – Try crawling through…” His words exasperated by the weight. Sliding forwards onto your hands and knees you carefully but quickly made your way under. You could feel a draft as your dress rode up sent your cheeks ablaze; praying that Joseph hadn’t seen. Standing on the other side, almost hitting yourself on a pipe jutting from the wall. It being the object keeping the machine from falling on its side.   
“You okay over there (y/n)?” gripping the bottom of the vending machine and bracing yourself.   
“Yeah, try and lift it Joseph. I can help from this side.”

Eventually, you both managed to get the machine upright, Joseph walking through to meet you. Offering his hand for a high five. You returned it with a loud smack, satisfying as it rang out in the hall. “Let’s keep going. We have to catch up with Sebastian.” You nodded. Your hands dropping as Joseph pulled his shotgun from his back. Continuing down the hall, guns in hand.


End file.
